The Tiger and the Dragon
by DementedDreameater
Summary: It is said that only the Tiger can equal the Dragon. Eva Bellator seems to fit the profile and Draco's not too happy about that. A new and deadly rivalry or a destined partnership? Only one thing is certain: EVERYONE has their own dirty little secrets.
1. The Dream

**"The ****Tiger ****and ****the ****Dragon"  
><strong>by: DementedDreameater

* * *

><p><em>"The name of a man is a numbing blow from which he never recovers." - Marshall McLuhan<br>_

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 1<br>****"The Dream"**

It was warm. Very warm.

Eva found herself sitting under the shade of a familiar tree. From where she sat, she overlooked a vast and green field. The sun shone softly down on the land. A gentle breeze blew and the tall grass and wildflowers swayed every now and then, revealing two children laughing and playing in their midst, with seemingly no cares in the world, completely unaware of their spectator. She looked around her. Everything looked so familiar.

Eva had been there before.

She looked over at the children still chasing each other. Both the little girl and boy had very pale blonde hair, almost white in fact. They must not have been more than 6 years in age. They were smiling but their faces were hazy. It could, however, be seen that both their eyes, slightly squinted in innocent happiness, were a grayish color. If one didn't know any better, one would say they were twins.

Quite suddenly, a low and foreign voice shouted to them. Eva looked around. The source was no where to be found. She couldn't make out the words, but the voice must have been calling to the little boy. He suddenly stopped chasing after his friend and turned to where the voice was coming from. Seeing that their game had come to an end, the boy bid farewell to the girl.

"Let's play again tomorrow, okay? Promise me!" she said, cheer still present in her little voice, her cheeks still rosy from their game of tag.

The sky slowly turned dark as the sun was hidden behind thick gray clouds. The foreign voice called again, a little louder now. The boy quickly stuffed his little hands in his pocket and placed something in the girl's equally small hands. It was a grayish stone, the same shade as their eyes. It was almost circular, except for an uneven cut on one side.

Before the girl could even ask, he quickly said, "The other half is with me, okay? Promise me you'll take good care of it."

She nodded happily and he ran off.

In the distance, a low rumbling could be heard.

Looking back one last time, he added, "Don't lose it, okay?"

She nodded again although she knew he would not see it.

A stronger gust of wind blew through the fields.

A storm was approaching.

* * *

><p>Eva Tigris Bellator woke up in their lavish family car. Tall buildings, vendors and pedestrians all passed by in a haze.<p>

_"That __dream __again…"_ she thought to herself as she yawned and sat up straight.

It had been quite a while since she last had that dream. Now fully awake, she was able to make more sense out of it. The little girl was more than just familiar. She knew for a fact that _she_ was that little girl in the dream. It was a childhood memory of hers, and the little boy was a friend she had come to know one summer years ago.

Why her brain decided to suddenly dream it up again, she could not understand.

She quickly felt for her necklace through the fabric of her blouse. She sighed with relief when she felt the object she was checking for. Chained there was the irregularly shaped grayish blue stone in her dream. She smiled.

At least one of them had kept their promise.

A storm had indeed come that day. The little Eva was soaked to the bone when she reached the steps of their mansion. The house elves were quick to help her with her clothes, but not quick enough before her mother caught her, the far too familiar scowl plastered on her face.

As punishment for soiling her expensive dress, she did not get to have any dinner and was forced to wear her damp sundress all night. She had caught a fever, but she still snuck out early the next day to see her friend, tightly clutching the stone in her pocket.

Luckily, the storm had only lasted until the previous night. The field was wet when she got there and her dress immediately caught mud, but weather never stopped them from having a good time with each other. Eva sat down under their tree, their special meeting place, and waited. The sun rose and then set.

Her friend did not come.

It was only during dinner that night did she overhear her parents mention in passing that he and his family, who had only come to visit the area, had moved back to their original home that day. She never did see him again after that, nor did she ever hear about them. She wasn't able to ask her parents about him either. Her parents weren't the type to answer some silly little girl's questions about a "friend". They just weren't the open type.

No, they definitely weren't.

With all the faces she had met in the years that passed, all the names she was forced to memorize for social gatherings (for being a Bellator had its social obligations), all the information crammed into her head by her tutor, and all her studying at home, Eva's memories of that one summer of friendship eventually faded. She eventually forgot his name. She no longer remembered what he looked like, save for his platinum blonde hair and grayish blue eyes that were difficult to forget considering they were very much like hers.

Every once in a while, though, she would have that dream, and every single time, she wished she never woke up from it. They did look quite similar when they were children, even when her hair had reached down to her waist that summer. But she had cut her hair very short now and had grown up, and surely he had, too.

Nevertheless, she had always hoped that one day…one fateful day, they would meet again.

Indeed it was one short summer, probably an insignificant and uneventful one for most of the world, but for her it had become a treasured memory, keeping alive her most treasured friend within the recesses of her mind.

"We're almost there."

Her mother's voice broke her train of thought. And speaking of trains…looking out the window, sure enough she saw the King's Cross Station just a few minutes away. Nervousness quickly settled in as she was reminded that today wasn't just any ordinary day.

Today, she was going off to her _first_ school.

She had always been homeschooled before and upon receiving the letter to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with the long-awaited permission from her parents, Eva was positively ecstatic!

She was ecstatic, thrilled, overjoyed to be living away from the only scenery she had ever had: the cold marble walls of their mansion, the dusty old tomes and books forced on her 24/7 and the scowl on everyone's face, including (but not limited to) her tutor, Mr. Burke.

It wasn't as if she were a poor student. She was a fast and eager learner. In fact, when her tutor was privately conversing with Eva's father in his study, and she "just happened to pass by the door", Mr. Burke had called her "a genius in hiding". He just had that scowl on permanently perhaps, Eva mused, due to some freak accident with a wand and a face-contorting prank. So Mr. Burke's scowls didn't exactly bother her so much.

Still though, when a person had nothing but scowls, glares and indifferent glances (at best) directed her way all her life, she couldn't be blamed if she yearned for a change of scenery.

And the letter of acceptance to Hogwarts was precisely Eva's ticket to getting that change.

At the station, she and her mother looked for Platform 9 and 3/4. Eva looked around confused. How could there possibly be a Platform 9 and 3/4? She was just about to voice out her concern when her mother pointed to the brick wall in front of them.

"Go through that wall," the woman instructed, impatience growing steadily in her voice.

She obviously saw it as a bother to accompany her daughter to Hogwarts Express. If she had her way, she'd have the house elves do it. Unfortunately, the Ministry might not appreciate the chaos that would ensue from Muggles catching sight of these magical creatures.

Not wanting to anger her mother any further, Eva did as she was told (although she _did_ initially think her mother was losing her mind, what with asking her to walk through solid walls) and found her way to their destination. All around her were students already wearing their uniforms, tugging along a pet and hugging parents goodbye. One of the students (distraught and rather clumsy-looking) appeared to be looking for his pet toad.

Eva had a pet herself. It was an ebony black owl with a line of white from the beak to the back of its head. It had served as a trusty companion whenever she was left alone in her humungous home, and which was actually quite frequent. She had taken to calling it "Noxx" because of its color. It was loaded into the train along with her luggage.

Her heart raced when the students started boarding. This was going to be her first time living away from home, the only world she had ever known. It was both exciting and frightening. Would she be able to fit in with the crowd? Would she be able to meet her parents' expectations? Being a Bellator, one of the wealthiest and most prestigious names in the wizarding world, nothing less than perfection was expected of her.

And this new world was daunting.

But wasn't this what she had always wanted? The Hogwarts invitation had come to her like a holy grail. It was her one chance to get away from the gloom, from the tiring routine of her mundane life. Sure, there were fancy parties and functions almost all the time in their home, opening her up to the world and widening her list of acquaintances to some degree. This list, however, consisted primarily of "their kind of people" (as her parents had put it).

Purebloods.

But that was all they were: _acquaintances_. She had "made friends" with some of them, in obedience to her parents' wishes and it wasn't too hard to do really. All she had to do was nod at every single condescending comment they made, compliment each other on their fame and fortune, and look the part of a snobby aristocrat. But beyond the pretty faces, the extravagant gowns and the proud demeanor, they were all, in Eva's mind, empty – just a bunch of arrogant, conceited and condescending purebloods.

She had another motive for going off to school, too. To be sure, it was her chance to be exposed to a greater, wider world. It was her chance to meet new people but, more importantly, it was her chance to find the friend in her dreams. He was the only real friend she had ever come to know outside her home. She had befriended their house elves and her nurse from her toddler years (who left when she had turned three), but she yearned for more human contact. There was a slight hope in her that maybe her friend would also be studying at Hogwarts.

Then again, there was probably a greater chance that he would be going to Durmstrang. And even if he _did _study at Hogwarts and she _did_ manage to find him, what were the chances that he would still remember a girl he had only met during one summer many years ago? All these doubts lingered in her head, but still...a girl could hope.

The train whistled and only a few students remained on the platform. Finally, it was time to say their goodbyes. Eva turned to her mother and searched the face that she would not be seeing for months.

There were small wrinkles appearing on her fine features, but still Ursula Bellator was as beautiful as ever with her platinum blonde hair, icy blue eyes, proud chin, and shapely and even prouder countenance. She must have had such a beautiful smile, but Eva couldn't be sure. Her mother had always looked at her in displeasure, to say the least, just as she was looking at her now. Eva had always tried to please her. She couldn't understand why her mother never showed even just an inch of compassion. She resolved to think that maybe she just wasn't doing enough; maybe she just wasn't meeting the expectations. Perhaps in Hogwarts, she would do better, and when she would come home on breaks, she would be looked at and treated differently.

"Goodbye, Mother."

The stoic woman allowed Eva to give her the traditional kiss. Her cheek was cold.

"Bear in mind that you are a Bellator. Behave yourself as such."

"Of course, Mother."

She boarded the train and found her way to her compartment.

There was no need to look back. She knew there would be no one to look back to.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So...this is my first ever fanfiction. I hope you liked the first chapter! :) I'd love to get your reviews! I'm always up for improvement and comments. ;)**

**This first chapter is just a taste of the secretive and twisted goodness the whole story has to offer. I bet you already have an idea as to who Eva's childhood friend could be. But we can never be too sure... *wink wink***

**I had some some difficulty coming up with the name for my OC's. As the quote above implies, the characters' names play a big part in the story. As you know, names hold a lot of meaning. (For example, 'Draco' also means 'Dragon'.) To figure out what Eva's whole name really means, you'll just have to keep reading...or, if you wanna go ahead and spoil everything (HAHAHAHA just kidding) you can research it, too.**

**Sure enough, there are plenty of secrets and skeletons in the closet. If you like secretive stories with twists and turns, plus romance and drama, then you'll definitely like this one. You'll just have to keep reading to figure out what the hell is up with Eva's family, who her childhood friend really is, and what is in store for Eva and Draco.**

**YES, THIS IS A DRACOxOC fanfiction. HAHAHA. Draco's coming up on the next chapter and their meeting is...pretty interesting, to say the least, so stay tuned. ;)**


	2. Twins

**CHAPTER 2  
>"Twins"<strong>

Breathtaking.

That was the first word that popped up in Eva's mind when she arrived at the very source of her holy grail, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had imagined a school to be something like a seminary or a convent – quiet, arid and stoic. The castle she was now walking around in was anything but. Portraits greeting the new students constantly plastered the great stone walls. Everywhere she looked was splendor. She couldn't wait to explore the grounds as well.

Eva ignored all the stares the other students had been giving her ever since she had stepped out of the train. Although it had bothered her how some of them stared at her and whispered to one another, she decided to just shrug it off. After all, she had been trained to become accustomed to the attention both her family name and uncommon physical features drew. She also shrugged off the strange incident on the train earlier on. She heard the disturbance was caused by dementors, but she hadn't caught sight of any. She reckoned she was lucky, but none of it really got to her as she felt her cup of happiness was filled to the brim at the thought of getting to live in such a wonderful place that was definitely different from their mansion back home.

As the great doors to the hall, however, swung open, she suddenly felt her stomach churn at the sight of so many students, all busy talking with each other. She tried not to let it show and kept a calm and cool demeanor in an effort to mask her anxiety. She, along with all the new students, were being ushered into the Great Hall to their respective seats. They were going to be sorted into the different school Houses today.

Eva was at the farther end of the line when she suddenly saw something that made her heart race even faster: a glint of platinum. It darted into the hall, and was quickly lost in the sea of students. It was all too quick, and Eva thought she must have imagined it.

She was too nervous to really attend to her imagination at the moment. Eva's situation was different from all the new students she was forced to sit with during the sorting.

They were all first years.

She, on the other hand, was entering as a third year.

* * *

><p>The Great Hall was buzzing with life. Everyone was talking about their vacations, their new classes and friends, about the events that could take place this new school year at Hogwarts, and especially about the dementor incident on the train. Even the professors seemed to be enthusiastically chatting amongst themselves, save for Professor Snape who was as cheerful a sight as a thestral. They were also talking about the first years being sorted into their respective houses.<p>

Over on the Gryffindor's table, a couple of redheads, a curly-haired brunette and an all too famous boy with glasses and a scar peeking every now and then from his disheveled hair awaited the sorting of the other students, hoping some of those they knew would be sorted into their House. Professor McGonagall called out names and placed the Sorting Hat upon the new students' heads and soon enough the decision would be out. The aforementioned group would cheer whenever they heard: "Gryffindor".

Over on the Slytherin's side of the Hall, however, they were not so moved by such an event. A particular group of Slytherins looked over at the festive Gryffindor table and scowled.

"Pffft!" a lean and dark-haired boy sneered. "What are those gits celebrating about? We do this _every_ bloody year!"

"Typical Gryffindors," a dark-skinned Slytherin added, looking up from his book. "Always gotta be so damn happy." He looked over to his other friends. "Oi! Crabbe! Goyle! The feast hasn't even started yet and you're already pigging out."

Sure enough, the two bulky Slytherins each had an armful of sweets and pastries they got (or stole) from who knows where.

"Leave them be, Blaise," the only girl in the group chipped in.

She was seated closest to their leader – a boy with blonde hair slicked back, a feature making him easily stick out from the rest of the dark-haired Slytherins. He had fair skin and pointed, but handsome, features.

The girl cooed, flirtatiously letting her hand rest on his bicep, "Not everyone can maintain a lean and muscular figure like Draco here." She batted her eyelashes at him a few times for good measure.

"Ugh! A bit early in the year for that, don't you think, Parkinson?" The first boy pretended to gag and got a dirty look from her.

"Shut it, Nott."

All the while, their leader remained silent. A scowl, however, could easily be seen on his pale face as he eyed a specific group of Gryffindors.

_"Better __celebrate __while __you __can, __Gryffindors!__" _he thought._ "__This __year, __Slytherin's __going __to __beat __the __bloody __hell __out __of __you."_

Another year at Hogwarts. Another year of having to deal with incompetent professors, save Severus Snape. Another bloody year of having to breathe the same air as the "Golden Trio", as they had ridiculously come to be known. Mudblood Granger. Weasel. And, the worst of the lot, Potter. He really wasn't all that. Come on…fainting on the train?

Draco let out a huff. _"Sure, __it __was __a __dementor, __but __you'd __think __the __'Almighty __Saint __Potter' __would've __been __able __to __fend __for __himself."_

To him, the trio hadn't really done much, yet everyone treated them like royalty. He felt they didn't deserve all the praise and attention they got and it pissed him off to no end.

Still though, his stay there in Hogwarts was far better than certain circumstances he would rather not think about for now, given his father's "extracurricular activities" with people that Draco would prefer not to have met at all. He still had some time and he had better enjoy what was left of it before petty annoyances turned into life-threatening problems...

"Finally!" His friend, Theodore Nott, interrupted his thoughts as the last freshman was sorted. "I thought this whole sorting business would _never_ end!"

The dark-haired boy eyed the table hungrily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation for the feast that would soon be given them.

Blaise snickered. "You're just as bad as Crabbe and Goyle."

Draco only smirked.

At least he had his best friends to make his life at Hogwarts entertaining, or at least tolerable.

All the students in the Hall were expecting the feast. Most of them were indeed famished from the train ride but were disappointed when the Headmaster started one of his speeches again. Groans surfaced, but were quickly buried again deep within each student's throat after a threatening look from Professor Snape.

"Once again, I congratulate all the first years. May you find your respective Houses accommodating and may you also find your stay here in Hogwarts a pleasant and memorable one."

Dumbledore looked around the room with the usual twinkle in his eyes.

"But before we move on to the feast, I believe we still have one more student to sort."

* * *

><p><em>"This <em>_is __it..."_ Eva gulped.

On the outside, she was cool and composed, but on the inside, it was a whole different story. She had been on edge ever since the sorting began and now it was her turn. She would finally be exposed to the whole school. Never had she been exposed to that many people. She breathed in deeply, trying to calm her nerves.

_"Just __don't __make __a __fool __out __of __yourself."_

She repeated it like a mantra and all the while her mother's words rang in her head.

_"Bear in mind that you are a Bellator. Behave yourself as such."_

Eva breathed out slowly.

* * *

><p>"One more student?" Blaise asked no one in particular, putting his book down in curiosity. "I thought we were done with all the first years?"<p>

"Looks like ol' Dumbledore's finally lost his marbles…" Nott nonchalantly remarked, resting his head on the table in disappointment from the delayed feast.

"Or whatever's _left_ of them anyway," Draco finally spoke up. He always knew the old man had a few loose screws in his head. "What's he babbling on about now?"

Unaware of the annoyance building up in some of the students, the Headmaster continued, "This new student has previously been homeschooled and shall now enter the third year level at our school."

Pansy laughed mockingly. "_Homeschooled?_ What? Couldn't afford to get into a decent school?" She turned to one of her girl friends, without letting go of her hold on Draco's arm. "Or probably just too ugly to come out in public."

"I trust that you will welcome her warmly." Dumbledore smiled at Eva. "Now then, please step up to the sorting hat, Eva Tigris Bellator."

The new third year stood up as all eyes turned to her.

Cue jaw-dropping from every student and awkward silence.

* * *

><p>As if she wasn't nervous enough, the whole hall suddenly went silent as people gaped at her. Eva slowly but confidently (or at least she tried to make it seem confident) walked to the pedestal. Her steps seemed to echo throughout the room. She almost feared her frantic heart beats would be heard over the tremendous silence. She sat on the stool, looking down at the floor, waiting for Professor McGonagall to place the sorting hat on her head.<p>

She just could not muster the courage to look back at the eyes looking at her like she had just grown three heads...and during their day and age, it wasn't all that unusual really. What were they all staring at? Had they never seen blonde hair before? She had spotted a girl donning long blonde hair before (and a strange sort of dreamy look in her eyes as well, as far as Eva could tell), but they didn't stare at that girl like they stared at her now. It was unsettling, to say the least.

A second later, as if on cue, everyone started talking, gossiping and whispering to one another. She thought she even heard someone curse out loud.

Eva groaned inwardly. _"Let's __just __please __get __this __over __with."_

* * *

><p>"BLOODY HELL!" Theodore shouted, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. When he looked back at the new student and realized that what he saw wasn't going away, he wanted to curse out loud again but saw the dirty and disapproving looks the teachers were shooting at him and, therefore, settled with muttering it to himself over and over again, like a traumatized little boy.<p>

"Bloody hell is right! What is this?" Even the usually calm Blaise was startled.

Crabbe and Goyle's mouths were just gaping, with food spilling out.

If Pansy's jaw wasn't attached to her head, it would probably already be on the floor as well. When she eventually found her voice, all she could manage was a pathetic, "D-Draco...?" She looked up at the boy and saw an equally shocked and even paler Draco Malfoy. He had always looked so confident, so cool. This was a rare sight indeed.

His eyes looked like they were ready to fall out of their sockets at any second. What was he seeing? Was this one of his dreams? He pinched the back of his hand hard and flinched. No, he was wide awake. Was it some kind of illusion? Some kind of sick joke orchestrated yet again by the Weasley twins? If it were, he didn't find it funny. He gripped at his chest. A million thoughts ran through his head, but all he could manage was a weak, "Bloody hell..."

* * *

><p>The Gryffindors were just as stunned as any of the Houses (but probably not as much as one particular well-known blonde student from their rival House).<p>

"Bloody Hell, Harry..." Ron muttered to his best friend. He had gone pale.

"Please tell me this isn't happening! One is enough!" Ginny added, resting her head in her hands.

"I can't believe my eyes..." Hermione chipped in.

Although Harry was still shaken up from the incident on the train, he couldn't help but feel flabbergasted as well. He looked over to the Slytherin table to find another blonde student who had gone even paler than his usual complexion. "Apparently, neither can Malfoy..."

The Weasley twins laughed heartily, "It's Malfoy's bloody twin!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Told you Draco would be here. ;) **

**So how was it? Please make me a happy little girl by sending reviews! HAHA. :)**

**I think their reactions to a Draco look-alike are pretty funny. Btw, note Ron and Theodore's reactions. I made it a point to show similarities between the Golden Trio and Draco's posse, especially in later chapters.**

**Finally, Eva has arrived at Hogwarts. I had difficulty deciding which year she should be put in. My initial plan was to have her come as a 2nd year. I even had a scene with Ginny's sorting written down for that case. But I think being a 3rd year is more convenient so I had to subtract Ginny-sorting from the chapter and added the dementors to at least match the books. **

**Eva's getting sorted! Which House do you think will she end up in? Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? If you do send me a review, it would be nice if you could mention which House you think she'll be sorted into. :)**

**Find out in the next chapter whether your guess is correct! ;)**


	3. The Brave & the Cunning

**CHAPTER 3  
>"The Brave &amp; the Cunning"<strong>

"Are you sure Dumbledore said her last name was 'Bellator' and _not_ 'Malfoy'?" Theodore shook Blaise who was stunned enough to not shrug his friend off. "Yeah...at least I THINK I heard him say 'Bellator'..." Even he started to doubt himself. Theodore released Blaise and turned to Draco who was still apparently recovering from seeing his doppelganger.

"Did you ever mention you had a twin? Or a sister? Or a cousin that really, really, REALLY looks like you?" Draco, this time, had the sense to shake himself loose from his friend's clutches. "Don't be an idiot, Nott! I never mentioned such a thing because I never HAD any of those in the first place!"

This was all too much for Theodore's poor simple mind to process. He turned to Pansy, but she still gaped. Then, finally snapping from the trance, "I can't believe it," she gawked. "Even as a girl, Draco's still so _gorgeous_!" The three boys just looked at her in a mix of disbelief, disgust and ... disturbance.

"There's _another_ Draco over there in a bloody SKIRT and that's ALL you can think about?" Theodore exploded. He believed he had every reason to panic. There was a girl version of his best friend that just popped up out of nowhere. Although, now that Pansy pointed it out, yes, he had to admit it was a somewhat attractive girl version.

...wait.

Did he just think that this Draco Malfoy look-alike was ATTRACTIVE?

No, no, no, no, no. This was all wrong! To be sure he liked girls...A LOT. But when he looked at _this_ girl seated on the stool, all he could see was his best mate, and it made him feel queasy he checked her out. He shuddered at the thought of even thinking about daring to maybe try considering checking Draco Malfoy out.

"Hmm...wait a second, 'Bellator'," Blaise mused thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, her name _does_ ring a bell..."

* * *

><p>Eva bit her lower lip as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her fair head. She thought she felt the hat almost jump in surprise upon contact.<p>

"Hmmm..." It started. "Interesting. Very interesting. Bellator, eh? It's been a while since I've sorted someone from _your_ family."

"What?"

"Your father was a Slytherin, yes? Just like the others."

This hat seemed to know a lot about her family. Indeed, her father had studied there, along with his siblings. The very few cousins she had on the father's side, however, had studied at either Beauxbatons or Durmstrang. Her mother had studied at Beauxbatons and had hinted to her father in the past that she wanted their daughter to study there as well. Her father, however, was intent on having her study at his old school.

The students looked on, curious to see the results. They, however, probably already had an inkling as to which House the new girl would get sorted into by just looking at her face.

"Tough, this one is. You're quite _differen_t from the others in your family..."

"Different?" Eva wondered if that was such a good thing. The last time she tried being "different" at home, she was berated and disciplined for hours, stuffed into a closet for what seemed like an eternity and permitted to come out only when she promised to "behave".

"I see bravery...yes, tons of it...just waiting to be unleashed."

Cue mass Slytherin facepalm.

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell, Draco..." Theodore squeezed his friend's shoulder in alarm. "Your twin's gonna be sorted into Gryffindor!"<p>

The blonde's eyes widened. He could already see his look-alike shaking hands with Gryffindors, laughing with them, cheering for them during Quidditch matches...and worse, being good friends with the so called "Golden Trio".

It was like watching himself do all those things he vowed never to do unless under the Imperius curse.

It was beyond strange.

Not to mention, he had his reasons for slightly hoping she'd be sorted into his House. There were a million questions going on in his mind and a million more already forming in its darkest corners. If she were sorted into Gryffindor, he'd have a hard time getting near her and getting to the bottom of things. Those annoying Gryffindors would most likely be all over her.

"Convenient" is the word if she were sorted into Slytherin.

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell, Harry..." Ron squeezed his friend's shoulder in alarm. "Malfoy's twin's gonna be sorted into Gryffindor!"<p>

"Well, we never know, Ron..." Hermione said. "She could actually be..._nice_." Hermione tried to console her friend, as well as herself. Unfortunately, it wasn't really working.

"_NICE_?" Ron threw his hands up in the air. He couldn't believe what the brunette had just said. "Anyone with Malfoy's face can't be _NICE_!" He looked back at the girl currently being sorted and shuddered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they ARE twins...I mean, just look at that steely look in her eyes. Just like Malfoy's!"

* * *

><p>"Bravery's nice and all," Eva muttered, more to herself. "But I don't think that's going to get me anywhere with my folks."<p>

"Oh, is that so? Shame. Brave indeed. But cunning, too, I see." The hat mused.

She remembered the discussion she had with her father, the night before she left for Hogwarts.

_~ FLASHBACK ~_

_"It will be a very good experience," Eva's father started, taking a puff from his pipe. _

_They were in his study. Brutus Bellator was seated comfortably behind his desk while she stood before him, ready for any questions he might throw at her or for any instructions he might give. "It will be good for you to be out of the house for a change, meet new people. Take care, however, to make friends with the _right _kind of people." By the last part of that sentence, his tone had become stern, almost threatening. She knew exactly what he meant by "the right kind of people". She had had the talk with him on matters concerning blood and the kinds of families in society. Once, they had gotten into a heated fight concerning that same topic. _

_It had earned her the trip to the closet. _

_He puffed on his pipe for a while and looked at her. Eva did not avert her eyes. Then, shifting back to his previous nonchalant tone, "I trust you have everything you need?"_

_"Yes, father." She answered._

_"Good. Oh, and one more thing." The man stood from his seat. He was a tall and stately man and his hair was as fine and fair as hers. His eyes were as mercurial as they were mysterious and cold. He moved to the fireplace, back turned to his daughter. The man picked up a memento sitting on the mantle and eyed it thoughtfully._

_"Tell me, do you remember the meaning behind the name 'Bellator'?"_

"How can I forget when you remind me everyday?"_She thought. All her life, her parents and tutor had stressed the "honor", "power" and "privilege" of being a Bellator. Unfortunately, they also stressed the fact that with great power and honor, came great responsibilites and obligations. "'Bellator' is Latin for 'warrior'." She answered dutifully._

_"Therefore, you must know what is expected of you." He set the memento back on the mantle. "Greatness." Then, he turned back to his daughter. "Every single Bellator that has attended Hogwarts has belonged to the House of Slytherin and excelled." A pause. __"Let us hope you do not disappoint."_

_"Yes, father."_

_~ END OF FLASHBACK ~_

"You would do extremely well in Gryffindor."

She wished the Hat hadn't said that.

Deep down, she knew the Sorting Hat wasn't wrong. Technically, she didn't have anything against that House. Looking over at their table, she saw how warm they all looked, and not just because of the color scheme for their House. They seemed to exude a kind of light and energy, the kind she hadn't seen at home or anywhere else, and she wondered what it would feel like to bask in that light, even just for a while.

She thought for a moment, then she lifted her chin. She had decided. She knew which House she _needed_ to be sorted into.

"If you're sure then..." The hat trailed off, waiting to see if she would change her mind.

Eva took a last look at the Gryffindor tables, then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

There was no turning back now.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"SLYTHERIN!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there you have it. Slytherin. Was that your first guess? :D**

**She _needed_ to be sorted into Slytherin, as mentioned above. But did she _want_ to be sorted into Slytherin? Well, you'll just have to continue reading the other chapters to find out how she really feels about the different Houses.**

**This is a pretty short chapter since I only wanted to focus on her sorting.**

**Oh, and do you now see some similarities between the Golden Trio and Draco's posse? Haha. :)**

**Oh oh oh! Trivia Time! **

**The first name I came up with for my original character was Nix Tigris Bellator instead of Eva Tigris Bellator. "Nix" is snow in Latin. I thought it would've been cute to name her that because of her fair complexion and hair. Then her nickname could've been Nixie Pixie HAHAHA. ****I told my sister (who is also into fanfiction) about it and she...well...she found it ridiculous. HAHA! So I changed it to "Eva" which means...well, that's for me to know and for you to find out through my later chapters. (Or through Google, I guess. But where's the fun in that? :D)**


	4. Nice to Meet You

**CHAPTER 4  
>"Nice to Meet You"<strong>

"SLYTHERIN!"

Cue more murmuring from the students. Sighs of relief could be heard from some Gryffindors. Some thought they had avoided a very blonde, very Draco-like bullet. They also thought it was just right she got sorted into Slytherin. Her appearance practically screamed Slytherin.

"That was a close one!" Ron exclaimed. He had been one of those who had sighed in relief. "Makes sense really."

"I thought for a minute there she'd be sorted into our House..." Hermione mused, deep in thought.

"Thought so, too...guess not." Harry piped in.

"Well you know what they say," Fred started.

"Snakes of the same scales -" George continued.

"- slither together." The twins chorused.

* * *

><p>The Slytherins, on the other hand, applauded. Although they were unsure as to what the future would bring, what with having two Draco Malfoys around, and were still pretty dumbfounded with her likeness to their leader, the Slytherins were still glad to have gotten a new (and actually quite attractive and possibly quite rich) comrade to help them with their rivalry against the Gryffindor House. Of course, to the Slytherins, having <em>another<em> Draco Malfoy was like having one more idol to worship and to lead them to victory. They weren't complaining.

"Thought for a while she'd be sorted into Gryffindor." Blaise scratched his chin.

Theodore, who had calmed down after the announcement, continued to clap. "Well she looks like Draco over here so it's only right she gets sorted into our House."

Pansy, still hanging on to Draco's arm, just rolled her eyes. "Students aren't sorted according to appearances, you git."

"Hmph!" Theodore crossed his arms, and then sneered. "I guess that would explain why someone attractive like _her_ got sorted into a House with someone like _YOU_."

"How dare you!" Pansy gave him a dirty look, and would've probably given him the dirty finger, too, if there weren't any teachers around. She settled for a threat. "Don't make me hex your balls off!"

"All I can say is that this is gonna be one interesting year," Theodore then elbowed his friend. "Right, Draco?"

_"'Interesting' wouldn't even begin to describe it." _Draco thought as he watched Professor McGonagall remove the hat from their new housemate's head. _"It wouldn't even begin to describe you, Eva Bellator." _He let a small smile creep onto his face for a couple of seconds before going back to his usual scowl.

* * *

><p>Professor McGonagall removed the Sorting Hat from Eva's head and whispered, "Good luck, dear."<p>

It was done.

This was how it was supposed to be. She would owl her father as soon as she had the free time. He should be glad of the news she would impart. He had gotten what he wanted after all.

She should be glad as well.

"Please join your House for the feast, Ms. Bellator." Dumbledore instructed, helping the girl down from the stool, and guiding her in the direction of her respective House. Then, turning to the rest of the students, "Now that we have sorted the last student, I believe a feast is in order." With a snap, the tables were instantly filled with the food promised them. The students cheered and worked their way through all the food.

Eva walked to her housemates. She was slightly comforted upon seeing them applaud. At least they didn't resent her being sorted with them. That was good. Most of the Slytherins hadn't started eating yet. They looked like they were waiting for her to reach the tables. True enough, when she got to there, they started standing up and greeting her. Soon, the food was forgotten and she was crowded by students all talking at the same time.

"Hi there!"

"Where are you from?"

"I'm Sean, what's your name?"

"Her name's Eva, you git! Weren't you listening?"

"Oh, sod off!"

"Is this seriously your FIRST time at a school?"

"You know, you're lucky you got sorted into Slytherin."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be sorted with those Gryffindor freaks!"

"You know you look a lot like Dra-"

"Don't suffocate her, you gits!" Eva heard a loud voice from the back of the crowd order the students.

"Move!" And sure enough, the crowd split into two, making way for a tall and lean boy with dark hair.

"The name's Theodore Nott." The boy extended his hand with a smile. "If you have any trouble finding your way to classes, let me know." Eva looked at him for a while. This would be her first decent conversation with another student. He looked cheerful and sincere with his gesture. She smiled politely and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Already moving in for the kill, eh?" Another student came up beside Theodore. He was tall as well and had dark skin.

"Shameless, really." It was a girl joining in the conversation this time, with short dark hair and arms crossed.

Theodore stuffed his hands into his pockets and casually moved to the side. "Just trying to be nice here."

"Blaise Zabini." The other boy introduced.

The girl leaned against Blaise's arm. "Pansy Parkinson."

"You know," Blaise wore an amused smile on his face. "You've got the most interesting hair and eye colors. You remind me of a friend." His smile widened. "Say, would you happen to have any relatives studying here?" The other students snickered, but before Eva could answer, another voice caught her attention from the back of the group.

"Blaise, you talk too much."

The snickering immediately ceased as Blaise and Pansy moved to the side, revealing the source of the voice that was now moving up to her.

Eva's eyes widened.

Platinum blonde hair.

Gray, mercurial eyes.

It was her turn to gape.

"Draco Malfoy." He smirked. "It appears one of us might have been switched at birth."

And that was all she was able to process before the room spun around and faded into darkness.

* * *

><p>Eva awoke groggily at some foreign room. She groaned. Her head was aching. Where was she? What was she doing there?<p>

"I see you're awake." She heard a woman's voice. She turned her head to the side and saw a woman in nurse's clothes. All around her were medicine, medical equipment and other beds, some of which were occupied by either a bandaged or ailing student. She concluded she must be at the school's hospital wing. She turned her attention back to the woman standing beside her bed.

"I'm Madam Pomfrey. The excitement must've gotten to you, poor dear - you fainted."

Fainted? Eva sat up slowly, still a little woozy, with some help from Madam Pomfrey.

"I understand this is your first time to attend a school?" Eva only nodded. Her thoughts were occupied by the embarrassment of fainting in front of the whole school. _"What a great first impression,"_ she thought. _"Fainting like a weakling."_ She rubbed her temples. What had happened anyway?

She remembered being sorted into Slytherin. She remembered walking to the Slytherin tables. She remembered being crowded. Then, a pleasant face and a warm handshake: Theodore. A boy and a girl: Blaise and Pansy. And ...her reflection? No...it had more pointed features, its hair, although of the same color as hers, was shorter, and it had a smirk on its face.

A smirk.

She couldn't remember ever smirking in her life.

Her heart raced. The shock of it all came back to her.

She had seen a _boy version_ of herself.

"Steady now, dear." Madam Pomfrey held on to her. She was getting dizzy again. "I think it might be best for you to stay here for the night."

_"Get a grip, Eva! When have you been this weak?"_ She mentally scolded herself, and then turned to the nurse. "No, I'm fine, thank you." She politely declined the offer. "I'm just a little ... hungry." It wasn't a _lie_ really. She WAS hungry. Starving even! She had fainted even before she got to taste her first meal at Hogwarts. It was a shame - the feast looked so good. "Well, alright then. Lie down for a moment while I get you something to eat." With a pat on the knee, the nurse was gone and Eva was left to her thoughts.

She lied back down on the bed, with the back of her hand resting on her forehead. She stared at the ceiling, but saw nothing of it for her thoughts were elsewhere. A boy version of herself?

"Merlin ..."

This was all too...too... She couldn't even find a word for it! What did he say his name was?

Draco Malfoy?

"Draco Malfoy ..." she repeated to herself, matching the name with the face in her thoughts.

Interesting name. She recalled all the Latin she had learned at home, both from her tutor and from the books in their library. _"Dragon, huh?"_

But something struck her as odd. You know how it is when you hear a song for the first time or, in this case, hear a name for the first time? The novelty of it, the unfamiliarity, just as she had felt when Theodore, Blaise and Pansy introduced themselves. Strangely, she didn't get the same feeling when her look-alike introduced himself.

Then, it dawned on her. She jerked to a sitting position. The platinum blonde hair. The gray eyes. Their unmistakable resemblance. How could she not have realized it sooner? All the memories started rushing in. The stone. Her dream. Suddenly, everything made sense.

_"He must be my childhood friend!"_ She concluded. That must be it! That was the ONLY explanation for it all. He must also be the blonde she had caught a glimpse of earlier on before entering the Great Hall. She couldn't fight the enormous smile working its way on her face.

_"Draco Malfoy..."_

She tried to recall if that was indeed the name she had come upon years ago, the name she was meant to remember, and the name that would be paired with cherished memories. Everything was still rather fuzzy, however, except for the platinum blonde hair and the mercurial eyes of her childhood friend.

Then, her smile slowly disappeared as another realization dawned upon her. Why hadn't he introduced himself as such when they met? If she herself had realized their possible connection sooner, she would have said so right there and then. There were two possible reasons for this.

The first was that he had already forgotten about her.

Although she was disappointed by the thought, Eva really couldn't blame him. It had been years since they last saw each other, and they had only really been friends that one summer. Even SHE had forgotten his name. They hadn't owled each other to keep in touch. She didn't know where he lived. She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. If this was the case, it wasn't all hopeless. She thought that after getting to talk to him, and maybe even getting to show him the stone she had promised to keep, he would (hopefully) remember her. Yes, maybe he had just forgotten.

She HOPED he had just forgotten.

The mere thought of the second possibility made her heart sink. It was either he had forgotten...or he wasn't the person she was hoping (but really more like WISHING) him to be. He just _happened_ to look like her and her childhood friend. He just _happened _to be of the same age. He just _happened _to fit the profile.

She smiled wryly. _"How cruel."_

Fate led her to find someone that looked exactly like her friend (from what she can remember) only to learn that that was all he was: a look-alike, and not even close to the real thing. She would go to him and chatter on about cherished memories and promises, only to find him looking at her like she had just lost her mind and have him mock her for the rest of her stay at Hogwarts.

She decided she had better study him first, get to know him, make certain his character before making any assumptions and disappointing herself to the next century. She wouldn't give up easily, but at the same time, she couldn't just go around asking him if he was her beloved long lost childhood friend. Even _she_ had to laugh a little at the silliness of it all should he turn out to be some clueless bloke.

"A _handsome_ clueless bloke though." She mused, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Soon enough, Madam Pomfrey returned with a tray of food. It was far from a feast, but she didn't complain. It satisfied the pangs of hunger.

The nurse eyed her as Eva had her fill. "You know dear," she smiled. "If the professors hadn't mentioned your name when you were brought here, I could have sworn you were a Malfoy."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: FINALLY! Draco and Eva's long-awaited meeting! I hope I was able to build up enough suspense for it. HAHA.**

**I had some trouble coming up with the perfect way for them to meet. So many ideas just flooded my mind. I wanted it to be comical instead of the usual romantic situations people come up with.**

**I actually had a lot of versions for the first sentence Draco would ever say to Eva:  
>1) "Draco Malfoy. I believe we've both just been shocked shitless."<br>2) "Draco Malfoy. ...Merlin, is that what I look like when I'm shocked shitless?"  
>3) "Draco Malfoy: Slytherin King, officially shocked shitless."<strong>

**The third one probably would've turned Eva off (with the whole arrogant approach) and that wouldn't be good considering it's just their first meeting. The other two would've been funny. But I settled for one _without_ the cussing. HAHAHA.**


	5. Common Room Conversations

**CHAPTER 5**  
><strong>"Common Room Conversations"<strong>

"Did you see her _hair_?" A Slytherin girl gushed to her friend.

"And how about those _eyes_, huh?" The friend gushed back.

Other students whispered among themselves as they recalled the new third year.

"Think she's single?"

"I dunno... Wait, what? Gross, man. That's like fancying _Malfoy_!"

"I can't believe she fainted like that. What is she, some weak-kneed Gryffindor?"

"I wonder why she'd been homeschooled up until now?"

"Guess we'll have to interrogate her some other time."

After the feast, the students had headed back to their common rooms to unwind. The events that had taken place in the Great Hall was the topic of choice. Draco had some people (the courageous of the lot) come up to him to ask about his possible relation to the other blonde but he would shoot them such a threatening look that they would flee even without getting a reply.

"Eva Tigris Bellator, eh?" Draco mused, arms folded across his chest. He sat on one of the common room couches nearest the fireplace, surrounded once again by his posse.

Pansy sat beside Draco. "Drakie," she cooed, hugging an arm. The blonde tried to pull away, however, Pansy held on tight. "You're pretty quiet tonight..." She pouted. "I mean, more than usual."

Pansy flirting Draco like crazy was a common sight in their common room. Draco was a heartthrob (and not exclusively to Slytherin girls...or _boys _for that matter). He had had more flings than he would care to count and he was just in his third year. He never really got into anything serious with anyone. He and Pansy had their history, but to him, she was just another fling. Draco had to admit though that she was quite different from the others: she was bloody _persistent_.

"Fainting like that, in front of everyone," she exclaimed. "How embarrassing!" But was momentarily distracted when Crabbe spilled some sauce on her robes as he ate through a pile of sandwiches.

"Ugh! Crabbe, you filthy pig!" She swiftly cast a cleaning spell on her sleeve.

"Cut her some slack, Pansy." Theodore chuckled.

He and Blaise were seated on the opposite couch near the fireplace. "I think you'd faint, too, if you found _your _doppelganger walking around. More so, talking to you." He then turned to his other best friend, "Whatcha readin' there, Blaise?"

"I knew her last name sounded familiar..." The boy was reading a copy of _The_ _Golden Wizard_, a magazine featuring business articles of the wizarding world.

"Says here Mr. Brutus BELLATOR, one of the most prestigious names in the wizarding world..." Blaise continued to read all the business achievements and ventures of the Bellator family, as well as their position and implied influence in the Ministry, until finally adding, "Their only heiress has started studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year." He put the magazine down in astonishment.

"Bloody hell…she's filthy rich!" Theodore exclaimed and, sneaking a look at Draco, "Probably even richer than you, Draco...if that's even _possible_, I mean."

Draco tried to ignore the last comment for the sake of his friend's face but scowled anyway. "Brutus Bellator. Yeah, I've heard of him. Pureblood. Business tycoon, residing in...Italy." He paused for a while. Then continued, "If I remember correctly, Father mentioned some fierce competition in our businesses. Bellator was one of the names that had come up. In fact, it was a particular _'favorite'_ of Father's."

Blaise smirked. "I sense a blooming rivalry already."

"Shut it, campfire."

"Now, now. No need to get all huffy, Drakie." The dark-skinned boy continued to tease.

Pansy joined in the conversation. "At least we know she's _our_ kind, and not some worthless Mudblood." Hatred colored the last word she spat out. The last thing they needed was a Mudblood being sorted into their House, polluting their pureblood atmosphere.

Draco had his signature smirk on. "If she's anything like _Granger_, I'd make her life a living hell."

"Aren't you roommates with her?" Theodore asked the only girl in the group.

"Well _you've_ certainly done your research." She sneered. Her old roommate, a quiet and gloomy girl with glasses, had recently transferred schools, leaving a vacant spot in their room. "Already found a shiny new toy to play with?"

Theodore Nott was also known as a heartthrob and a notorious playboy. Although not as popular as one Draco Malfoy, he had had his bountiful share of admirers. To this sentiment, however, Theodore blanched. Draco also sported a look of disgust on his face.

"I think I'm steering clear of getting romantically involved with anyone that looks like Draco." Then quickly held up his hands, "No offense, mate. It's just that it'd be kind of like dating...well..._you_." They all shuddered at the same time. "It's just plain..._wrong_."

After composing himself from the disturbing thoughts that ran through his mind, the blonde went back to smirking. "For once, Nott, you actually make sense."

He just stuck his tongue out at Draco. Theodore was used to this love-hate relationship with his best mate. They were always teasing and mocking each other and it was actually quite entertaining. Besides, he knew that behind every insult or mockery was a strong friendship. That was just how they were. Then he asked, "Seriously though, you _sure_ she's not related to you in any way?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Draco looked scandalized. "We Malfoys make it our business to know our relations."

"I mean, if you told me you were twins, I would've believed you right there and then."

"That's because you're gullible, Nott. If I told you with enough conviction that your life was all one big dream and you were actually some bloody muggle with an over-imaginative mind, living a boring, _non-magical_ muggle life, you would've cried your bloody eyes out and lost your mind completely."

"Don't even _say_ such things!" Theodore had a horrified look on his face. He tried covering his ears but the damage had been done. He looked worriedly at Blaise who in turn sighed, "No, Theodore, your life is _not _one big muggle dream."

Pansy, still holding onto the blonde, rolled her eyes. "Pathetic."

Draco chuckled. His friends really were entertaining. Theodore was a goof and was downright _dumb_ at times, but he was true and loyal. Whenever things got rough, he could always count on Theodore to have his back. Blaise was the calm and rational friend, with whom Draco had shared a great deal of his childhood. Nobody knew him more than Blaise. The two helped him cope with certain things in his life...certain things he would rather not think about for now.

"Speaking of that new student, shouldn't she be back by now?" Pansy was looking at the clock on the mantle of their fireplace. "It's getting late. At this rate, Daphne, Millicent, Tracey and I won't be able to interrogate her."

Blaise had another amused smile on his face. "Play nice, Pansy."

"Of course. Don't be a git, Blaise. Since she's one of us, I'm sure we'll make _good _friends."

"Well," Blaise looked behind her. "Here comes your 'friend' now."

* * *

><p>With some instructions from Madam Pomfrey and some help from a prefect, Eva was able to find the Slytherin common room. Just as she arrived, the students stopped talking among themselves to stare at her. Some of them started to surround her again.<p>

"Haven't you prats learned anything?"

Eva recognized the voice. It was Pansy coming towards her with a smirk on her face. "Geez, don't crowd her. There's no need for the new student to visit the hospital wing twice in one day." Pansy then grabbed the new girl's wrist and pulled her away from them. The two started walking farther into the common room.

"Eva Bellator, right? I believe our meeting was cut short. Hope you didn't have to drink any revolting medicine from Pomfrey." The dark-haired girl cocked an eyebrow. "Do you have a heart condition or something?"

She was referring to the fainting incident earlier on. Eva felt a little embarrassed but maintained her look of indifference.

"No, not at all. I was just, well, _taken aback _when I saw-"

"Draco Malfoy?" Pansy finished for her.

"Yeah, seeing him was rather..." Eva paused to think of a word that would fully describe the way she felt about seeing him. It was an out-of-this-world experience but she settled for "bizarre."

"Yeah, well, Drakie has that effect on people. He's just _so_ gorgeous." The dark-haired girl sighed dreamily.

_"And I _think_ it could have something to do with the fact that he looks almost exactly like me even though we aren't the least bit related. I could be wrong though."_ The blonde thought sarcastically but decided to keep the comment to herself. Mustn't piss anyone off on the first day. _"'Drakie', huh? They must be in some sort of romantic relationship."_

"And speaking of Drakie," Pansy looked over to the couches by the fireplace. "Let's head on over there and have a proper meeting now, shall we?"

Eva followed Pansy's gaze and saw the three boys she had recently met. Her own gaze immediately landed on the blonde. Her heartbeat quickened. This boy could very well be the one she had been looking for, but she had to make sure first. Looking at him for the second time fueled her hopes. Through the fabric of her blouse, Eva gripped the stone on her necklace.

She was ready to face this look-alike again.

This time, there would be no fainting included.

* * *

><p>The boys watched as Pansy "saved" the new girl from being crowded by their housemates yet again and entered an actual conversation with her.<p>

"Poor girl," Blaise chuckled, shaking his head. "Pansy's probably filling her head with junk already."

"Yeah," Theodore agreed as he watched the girls talk. Their friend had her smirk on. "Probably being her usual pompous self."

"Looks like they're coming over here." Blaise observed. "Let's hope she doesn't faint again."

Just like his friends, Draco was eyeing the pair that started walking towards the boys' direction. This time, he'd be able to have a proper conversation with her.

As they approached, however, Draco found himself spacing out again_. "Damn!" _He thought._ "She really does look like me. It's like meeting my long lost sister for Merlin's sake!"_

The more he looked at her, the more he felt uneasy and the more questions popped up in his head. He just wanted to voice all of his curiosity and confusion out but he didn't want to look like some tosspot.

This was still all too strange for him and he wondered if he was indeed SURE he knew their family tree well enough. It was either he had missed out on one important branch of their tree (which was pretty unlikely) or his gut feeling (leading him to another, more interesting theory on their possible connection) was correct and he needed to do a little investigating.

Finally, the two girls arrived at the boys' spot.

Pansy cleared her throat. "I believe you remember our new housemate, Eva." She then reclaimed her position beside her (unwilling) object of affections.

"Hey, Eva!" Theodore greeted immediately. "Feeling better? Sit down, sit down."

"Much better, thanks." She answered as she sat down beside him. This position meant that she sat across from Draco, which was very convenient for the boy since he had taken to studying her.

"You kind of surprised us all. And not just because of the fainting." Blaise added.

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure you've noticed it already but I just have to say for the nth time...you two-" Theodore pointed to Draco. "-look alike."

Draco sneered. "Well that's putting it lightly."

"That IS your natural hair color, right?" The other girl suddenly asked.

Eva nodded although she found the question rather rude.

Theodore scratched his head. "So...you really don't think you guys are related even just a tiny bit?"

"I already told you, Nott! Weren't you listening?" The blonde boy was getting quite impatient this time. "Unless she's of the same bloodline as the Malfoys or the Blacks, we are NOT related."

"He's right." It was Eva's turn. "I am_ very _familiar with my family tree. I assure you, both of those names do not come up on it."

"Then I guess one of you really must've been switched at birth." Blaise joked.

"Maybe." She smiled. "But I highly doubt that, seeing as I was born in Italy."

"You don't have an accent though."

"Yes, both my parents and those working for us at home are all British. We rarely speak Italian."

"The old nutter said you were homeschooled up until now," Draco was now talking directly to his "twin". "So what's up with that? Parents didn't want you out of their sight?"

The last question must've touched on something sensitive. The blonde girl's smile disappeared.

Little did they know she had been asking herself the same question for years.

"I'm not entirely sure myself." She answered, fiddling with a loose thread on the couch while maintaining her mask of indifference. "Whenever I'd ask permission to start formal schooling, they'd always tell me to focus on my home studies first. I have a tutor to keep me busy."

Then Eva smiled, dispelling the tension. "I'm just not sure if having such a _dedicated _tutor is a good thing or not." She chuckled lightly. "Study, study, study. That's all he wants me to do."

"Well it's good to finally be out, don't you think?" Theodore stretched his arms, then sank back into the soft couch. "I mean, being stuck at home must've bored the bloody hell out of you."

"And now that you're here with us," Pansy piped in. "I think we should give you some…friendly _advice_. Being new here, you should know who to stick close to and who to avoid like a plague."

Suddenly, the warning signals in Eva's head started to sound off. Pansy's little talk was starting to sound extremely familiar. Somehow, Eva already knew where this was going.

"Blood. I'm sure you know how important it is in our society." The black-haired girl continued like some expert on the matter. "It separates the noble, like us, from the substandard filth that's let loose in our school. Naturally, we purebloods should stick together."

And Eva was right. It was yet another "blood talk". The smug and condescending look on Pansy's face made her feel like she was listening to her parents or attending one of those pureblood parties all over again. She couldn't help but cringe inwardly. She thought it would be different at Hogwarts, more "open-minded" perhaps.

Apparently she thought wrong. Very wrong.

She only hoped that her possible childhood friend had _not_ grown up to be someone she would also eventually detest. Spending so much time with this Pansy girl, she was afraid he might have picked up on this kind of thinking. Eva could only hope.

"You don't need to associate yourself with the _others_. Blood traitors and mudbloods." Pansy then turned to the blonde boy, hugging his arm. "Isn't that right, Drakie?"

Oh no.

"Don't forget; Draco has three particular '_favorites' _in this school." Blaise chuckled.

No, no, no.

Eva looked at the blonde. His smirk grew on his face. His eyes were squinted, but not in innocent happiness as she often observed in her dreams. The look he had on now made her uneasy.

_"Please don't say anything. Please."_ She pleaded, hoping he would somehow hear her thoughts and maintain his untarnished image in her head.

"Hmph." Draco sneered. "The-Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die, Weasel and Mudblood Granger...Hogwarts would definitely be better off without _them_ polluting the air!"

Eva thought she heard something shatter in her head. The untarnished image of this boy in front of her was in a million pieces. She unconsciously grasped her stone.

And suddenly, selfishly and quite bitterly, she wished the second possibility she had recently thought of, that he was NOT the friend she was looking for, would come true.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we go. Their first "decent" conversation. Although I'm not so sure that would really count as decent, as things didn't really go the way Eva wanted them to. Haha. **

**For some reason, I had a lot of difficulty coming up with this chapter. Hahaha finally got it out of the way. I had fun coming up with the conversations between Draco and Theodore though. He's just so silly. HAHA. I hope you like this version of Theodore Nott as much as I do. :)**

**New people coming up in the next chapter, so stay tuned! :D**

**Once again, reviews and comments are love. :) **


	6. First Day of Classes

**CHAPTER 6  
>"First Day of Classes"<strong>

Memories of last night's conversation soured Eva's mood that morning.

She had woken up early and, after looking around the room and seeing that her roommates had no intention of waking up just yet, had pulled the covers up to cover herself completely.

She had met her roommates the previous night when she retired early to their room and had chatted lightly with them before excusing herself to get some "shut eye". In truth though, it was probably hours before she managed to finally fall asleep.

Her roommates were an interesting lot.

Daphne Greengrass was tall with soft chestnut brown hair. Eva found her beautiful but once the girl opened her mouth, the blonde was inclined to think her beauty to be a waste. She had a lot to say about the students in the castle, regardless of their House, and her choice of words really couldn't be classified as pleasant. Millicent Bulstrode, on the other hand, was rather on the heavy side and was straightforward and gruff throughout their meeting. Another new roommate, Tracey Davis, was a lean girl with long dark hair held up by a clean pony tail. She was one of the Slytherin Quidditch team's beaters and spoke enthusiastically about the sport. Eva found her most agreeable among the girls.

The fourth, she had met earlier on in the Great Hall - Pansy Parkinson. They had only met yesterday yet Eva couldn't help feel like they had already met years before. She reminded Eva so much of those pureblood snobs she had met at parties.

But she couldn't bring herself to _really_ dislike the girl. Besides the fact that Eva had, over the years, developed some sort of tolerance for people much like Pansy (seeing as she had been surrounded by these kinds of people all her life), they _had_ only met yesterday, right? It was unfair for her to judge Pansy so quickly. Who knows? The dark-haired girl could end up surprising her. She decided she would try to get along with this girl.

Besides, they were _roommates_. They'd be seeing a lot of each other and it wouldn't do Eva any good to start trouble.

And speaking of judging people...her thoughts went back to last night's common room conversations, and focused on one particular sentence.

_"The-Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die, Weasel and Mudblood Granger...Hogwarts would definitely be better off without_them_polluting the air!"_

Eva felt all the disappointment well up in her again.

After a few more exchanges that same night, she had bid goodnight to the group with the excuse of "getting some unpacking done and getting some badly needed sleep". Pansy, however, had followed suit and, upon arrival at their designated room, had introduced her to the roommates previously mentioned. There was very little unpacking accomplished.

Eva felt the disappointment creep its way back, but she also mentally kicked herself for her lack of foresight. Had she really expected to find an unchanged friend after all these years? How could she be so thick-headed? Everyone changes with time.

_Everyone._

Even she had acknowledged that she had changed. She was no longer the naive little girl from that summer years ago. Being a Bellator had its obligations after all and these have exposed her to a world devoid of fairytales and happy endings. She didn't even have to go far to be able to see that. Her very home was an excellent example.

So how could she really expect anything more from her childhood friend? Rather, from her_possible_ childhood friend.

She laid in silence under her covers as she caressed the mercurial stone hanging from her neck. She steered her mind to more optimistic thoughts.

Of course, there was still the possibility that he was perhaps only declaring a hatred and prejudice against the said people as a sort of ruse. A pretense, so he could fit in with the rest of his peers. Admittedly, Eva had done the same during the balls and parties Bellators were predisposed to go to (although not to the degree of declaring hatred towards non-purebloods). She would nod absently or keep silent at whatever discriminating comment others were inclined to spew out. She was taught to please and "make friends" with "their kind of people". Perhaps this Draco boy was doing the same?

There was also the possibility that it was only brought on by the influence of a certain girl that went by the name of Pansy Parkinson. They seemed to be pretty close, judging by the fact that she couldn't keep her hands off him.

She repeated in her head what she had told herself at the hospital wing: she wouldn't give up easily. She'd still stick to her plan of getting to know him better.

The blonde decided to shrug it off. It was a new day. It was her _first_ day of classes at Hogwarts.

_"I'm not going to let something like that ruin my first day,"_ She felt around her bed for something soft and small until she came upon the familiar texture of one stuffed teddy bear. _"Isn't that right, Teddy?"_ She smiled and hugged the bear tightly.

Luckily, she was under the safety of her sheets. If her roommates ever saw her doing something as _silly_as that, Eva suspected she (and the rest of the Hogwarts population) would never hear the end of it.

Eva was indeed already in her teen years and she was well aware that such a childish thing as keeping a teddy bear could only be expected from, well, children...

But she wouldn't give it up for the world.

This little brown bear, with white ears (the right one slightly torn) and unblinking shiny hazel beads for eyes, was a prized possession of hers. Her nurse had given it to Eva on the blonde's third birthday, right before she left the Bellator family. She never saw or heard from the nurse again. And while Eva could still remember some features of her childhood friend (the hair and eyes), her memories of the nurse's physical appearance were completely gone. Eva reasoned that this lack of memory was due to the fact that the nurse had after all left when she was only three.

But all the wonderful stories and fairytales that the nurse had filled her innocent head with remained. Sometimes, in her dreams, she could still hear her nurse's gentle yet enthusiastic voice retelling her a story about brave knights and beautiful princesses, pirates and treasures, daring explorers and exhilarating adventures.

What _really_ aroused her childlike curiosity and interest, however, were the nurse's less adventurous (yet equally fascinating) stories of mothers attending to their sick children (with chicken noodle soup usually a key ingredient to the story), grandmothers baking her grandchildren cookies, or fathers teaching their sons baseball. It was from her nurse that she had learned strange things such as chicken noodle soup, chocolate chip cookies, baseball, cars that ran on fuel and battery, something called a telly, and other things that fascinated her to no end.

She brushed her fingers against the cloth of her bear and sighed.

Whenever she looked at her teddy the way she looked at it now, she remembered her nurse. She felt a twinge of sadness underneath all the happy memories of this woman's stories. During those times, even at such a young age, Eva fully understood that she had felt and received only from her nurse the warmth and love that her parents were incapable of giving.

Because of this, she kept the bear and treasured it probably even _more_ than she treasured the stone on her necklace...

"Eva, you awake?" A voice tore her away from her little flashbacks.

The blonde hastily hid the bear under her pillow before uncovering herself. She saw Tracey sitting on her bed, yawning. The other three were still asleep.

"Thought so." Tracey smiled. "It's your first day of classes here, right? Better not be late for the best class...breakfast!" 

* * *

><p>Eva's first class was Transfiguration. She had it with Tracey and Pansy who sat on either side of her. They chatted while waiting for Professor McGonagall. Some of the students still stared at her but she merely shrugged it off. That was something she would have to get used to.<p>

Eva felt her heartbeat quicken as a familiar blonde sauntered into the room with his best mates, Theodore and Blaise, in tow. She tried to stop all the negative thoughts from coming back. The trio spotted the girls, exchanged polite nods and sat beside them.

"Drakie!" Pansy squealed, standing up to sit beside him. Seeing that Theodore was occupying her seat of interest beside the blonde, she glared at him. "Move, Nott!" Pansy then unceremoniously inserted herself between the dark-haired boy and Draco, much to their annoyance.

"Geez, woman!" Theodore exclaimed as he slid over to Eva. "Could you lower the pitch of your voice just a couple of octaves? It's too early in the morning for this!"

Pansy ignored him as her full attention was on the blonde.

"Sorry about Pansy," Tracey chuckled. "That's just how she is whenever her 'Drakie' is around."

"Yeah," Eva smiled as she watched Pansy try to get Draco's attention, but to no avail. He was in an animated discussion about something with Blaise. "I already saw a demonstration of this in the common room last night."

Theodore immediately forgot his annoyance as he joined in the conversation. "Yeah, she's _always_ like that." Then he wore a slightly worried expression on his face. "Hope we didn't bore you last night, Eva."

The boy had caught her off guard. "Oh... No, no..." She said lamely.

"And I hope the whole 'blood' business the_nutter_ over here was going on about didn't make you uncomfortable..." He quickly looked at the dark-haired witch beside him to check if she had her wand out, ready to hex him. To his relief, she was still busy fawning over his best mate.

"Oohhh, I see." Tracey laughed. "Pansy gave another lecture on pureblood camaraderie, eh?"

"Yeah, you know Pansy!"

They definitely hit the metaphorical nail on the head.

Tracey shrugged her shoulders. "Some habits are just hard to break, I guess."

Eva couldn't help but smile though. It was comforting to know that not all Slytherins shared the same prejudice against non-purebloods. She didn't feel so left out anymore.

Her smile widened. "I knew there was a reason I liked you two." 

* * *

><p>Transfiguration went by fast. Most expected Eva to struggle in class since Transfiguration was, as Professor McGonagall put it, "far superior to other types of magic". So both the students and professor were fairly surprised to find her more than knowledgeable on the subject matter.<p>

Her lessons with Mr. Burke, her tutor, covered almost all the topics that would be taken up in formal schooling. They even tackled some extra topics that weren't conventionally taught in Hogwarts. Eva, therefore, was well-equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to at the very least pass her subjects.

Potions, likewise, did not prove to be a challenge. She was even rewarded with a somewhat approving semi-nod from Professor Snape himself.

These similarities to Draco (for he too was known for being advanced in Transfiguration and Potions although he showed little interest in the former) went by unnoticed.

The Golden Trio was also in their Potions class and one Ron Weasley couldn't help point it out.

"Blimey, Harry..." The red-head muttered to his best friend as he absently stirred the contents of their cauldron. "Told you she's Draco's bloody twin!"

"Oi, Ron! Watch it!" Harry scolded, but it was too late. Their cauldron spewed out its contents all over the two boys and their counter.

Professor Snape looked at the mess, then at the two boys before announcing (to his delight), "Ten points from Gryffindor!" 

* * *

><p>During lunch, Eva was crowded by what seemed to be her new fan club comprised of students awed by her skill and intellect.<p>

"Come on, come on, break it up!" Tracey shooed the students. "Let the girl have her lunch." When the crowd had dispersed, Tracey sat back down beside the blonde and chuckled, "You seem to be a crowd-magnet, Eva." The blonde only continued to eat her roast.

"You never told us you were a whiz at Potions and Transfiguration!" Millicent said between bites.

"Well, we never really asked now, did we?" Daphne sneered. "Chew with your mouth closed, Millicent."

Pansy raised an eyebrow. "You're so much like, Drakie, you know that? It's almost creepy." She then stood up and looked around. "And speaking of Drakie...excuse me, ladies." Pansy gathered her things and hurried off.

"Where's she going?" Eva asked, sipping on her pumpkin juice.

"Where else? To her 'Drakie-poo'." Millicent pretended to gag, issuing a small laugh from Eva.

The blonde decided to finally ask the question. "They're in a relationship, then?"

Daphne laughed haughtily. "Draco Malfoy? In a relationship? That'd be the day."

Tracey must have seen the confused look on Eva's face. She quickly tried to explain. "What she means to say is...well, Draco's not known for sticking to_one_ girl."

"Oh, no need to sugarcoat it, Tracey," Daphne interjected, waving the idea away with her fair hand. "He's pretty much a heartthrob and playboy here. He's got flings here and there." The girl then assumed a dreamy look on her face. "I know I've had _my_ fair share of snogging with the Slytherin King."

This time, Millicent really almost _did_ gag. Daphne shot her a glare. "Anyway, he and Pansy have had _theirs_ as well, but she's not likely to let him go anytime soon."

"She's _very_ possessive of him." Millicent widened her eyes for effect.

"Yeah," Eva's eyes followed Pansy. "I can see that." 

* * *

><p>Draco and his group were seated at the opposite end of the table and saw the commotion as well.<p>

"I'm fairly impressed. It's just the first day of classes and she _already_ has a fan club." Blaise observed with yet another amused smile on his face. "Looks like the physical appearance isn't the only thing you two have in common."

"I don't care what you say, Draco," Theodore stared at the blonde girl, his hand propping his head up, with his elbow resting on the table and providing support as he chewed lazily. "I'm completely convinced that you two are twins."

Draco looked on as well. She really was a bundle of surprises. He admitted that he found her attractive. She _did_look like him, after all, and at this thought, he couldn't help smirking. But he really didn't expect her to have the talent and brains to boot. Besides Granger, no one had ever really equaled his intellect. It both astounded and intrigued him.

"Oh, bollocks!" Theodore quickly hid his face with a hand. "Don't look now, Draco...here comes the little harpy!"

Draco looked at what his friend pointed to and blanched as he saw the dark-haired girl well on her way to pestering him again. Blaise only laughed at his friends' reactions. "You know, you really _should_ tell her off soon. At this rate, she'll think you actually _like_ having her around all the time."

"What do you think I've been doing all this time, Zabini?" Draco quickly stuffed his things into his bag. Fuming, he turned to his friend. "The message just won't get through that thick head of hers!" Taking one last quick drink from his goblet, he stood up and clapped Theodore's back, causing his friend to choke on his lunch. "Cover for me, will you?" But before Theodore could respond, the blonde was gone.

Draco had escaped just in time. "Where'd Drakie go?" The two boys left at the table looked up to see a frowning Pansy. Casually going back to his lunch, Theodore sneered, "Away from you, obviously, you loony bird."

The Great Hall echoed with the sound of Pansy smacking Theodore square on the cheek before the girl stomped off, eliciting shocked looks and death glares from Theodore's own fan club nearby.

The boy, bewildered, could only massage his throbbing cheek. "Women." 

* * *

><p><strong>AN: HAHA. I love how Theodore and Pansy keep fighting all the time. :)**

**Anyway, this chapter shows another secret of Eva's. I know "Teddy" isn't a very creative name for a teddy bear, but hey, Eva was _three_ when she named it. I don't think she'd be able to come up with names like "Maddox" or "Dmitri" or "Sjtefanzesky" (HAHAHA WHAT!). It was also named "Teddy" for a very interesting reason...which will come to be known (like most secrets) in later chapters. HAHA. :)**

**Her roommates are also finally introduced. I like having Tracey as something like an older sister. It would be horrible to be stuck with snobs all the time, now wouldn't it? D: She'd be something that could keep Eva sane. :)**

**Thank you for the reviews! Please do keep them coming! :)**


	7. A New Rivalry

**CHAPTER 7**  
><strong>"A New Rivalry"<strong>

A girl with bushy brown hair was flipping rather violently through pages of books in the library, reading like her life depended on it. Students studying nearby were annoyed with the noise she was making by just turning pages, but they knew better than to bother this particular witch while she was on study mode.

Her two best friends fidgeted in their seats. The bespectacled one mustered enough courage to break her concentration. "Easy, 'Mione. You're close to ripping those pages off the books."

"I can't stop now, Harry." She said without taking her eyes off the book. "I've slacked off too much already. I should be ashamed of myself."

"Slacked off?" The redhead couldn't believe what he was hearing. "All you ever _do_ is study! What makes you think you 'slacked off'?"

Harry tried to stifle a chuckle with a cough. He knew exactly what was going through his brilliant friend's mind. "Yeah, you're the most hardworking student in our classes, Hermione. Seriously. No one would be able to out-study you."

Hermione suddenly closed the book and glared at her two best friends. "What?" The two boys backed off immediately. They knew well enough that an angry Hermione was a force not to be reckoned with. "Someone out-study me? Hah! Who said I was worried about _that_? What do you take me for? Do you seriously think I'm _that_ concerned by the new student's performance?"

The two boys looked at her. Hermione blushed almost instantly after realizing she had just confessed what (or _who_) was bothering her.

"Ohhh...so all this furious page-turning is about that Malfoy girl?" Ron blurted out. Harry just did a facepalm. Their redhead friend really wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, especially when it came to Hermione.

Ron continued, "Yeah, that girl's definitely got her stuff down."

Harry shot him a "shut up" look but he didn't seem to notice.

"Even Snape approves of her...I mean, in his own _greasy_ way, probably 'cause she's Malfoy's twin or 'cause she's a Slytherin. She's not too bad in Charms. And then, there's Transfiguration! You should've seen the smile on Professor McGona- OW!" Harry had stomped on his foot under their table to effectively shut him up.

Professor McGonagall was clearly Hermione's favorite professor, especially after the elderly witch showed much concern when she got petrified the previous year. Hearing her favorite professor favor another student would be enough to fuel a fiery (albeit one-sided) rivalry between Hermione and the new girl.

And fuel one it did.

Still blushing and wanting to get away from the embarrassment, Hermione stuffed her things in her bag and collected an armful of books. "I'll see you boys later. I need to go practice my wand work." 

* * *

><p>Eva looked around the headmaster's office in awe. It was a rather large room with a magnificent collection of books. Silver instruments that made whirring noises and portraits of past headmasters also filled the room. What really caught her attention, however, was his phoenix. She resisted the urge to touch its beautiful flame-colored feathers.<p>

"Please, take a seat, Ms. Bellator."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered Eva sweets which the blonde politely declined.

Popping one into his mouth, he asked, "How is your stay at Hogwarts so far, Ms. Bellator?"

The blonde had received a letter from the Headmaster himself requesting her to visit his office. He wanted to check up on the new student. It was after all uncommon for new students to be enrolled immediately in their third year where other students were now comfortable with their school, subjects and their own cliques. It was even more uncommon to have a student at Hogwarts that wasn't born in Britain. It was only after Mr. Burke advertised Eva to the Headmaster and expressed the family's wish for her to study in Hogwarts that her existence had come to be known.

"It's been good, Sir. I've made friends with my roommates and some other Slytherins. The subjects are very interesting as well." She smiled. "I've also gotten used to people staring at me and accidentally calling me 'Draco' or 'Malfoy'."

The elderly wizard chuckled. "Ah, yes. The resemblance is quite remarkable if I do say so myself." His blue eyes twinkled. "I have also received positive feedback from your professors regarding your performance. Keep up the good work, Ms. Bellator."

"I will, Sir. Thank you."

"But all work and no play makes Jack a dull wizard." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I trust your roommate, Ms. Davis, has informed you about the wonders of Quidditch?"

"Yes, Sir," Eva chuckled as she remembered how Tracey spoke passionately about the sport. "She invited me to try out for the team."

"And I highly encourage you to do so! It inspires teamwork, sportsmanship and interdependence in students." Dumbledore then winked. "I find it is also a good means to deepen existing friendships and spark new ones."

Eva didn't miss the wink. She felt there was some hidden meaning behind the headmaster's last sentence, but she was too preoccupied with a problem to really dwell on it. "I just have one problem with the sport, Sir."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

Eva stifled a laugh. 

* * *

><p>"Hey, Eva, I heard you'll be trying out for the Quidditch team this year." Millicent casually said as she floated a paper plane towards the only student interested in their class, a bushy-haired girl. They were in their History of Magic class and Professor Binns was too lost yet again in one of his lectures to see that half the class was asleep while the other half was busy chatting or fooling around.<p>

Hermione opened the paper plane from Millicent and frowned when she saw an animated drawing of herself being beaten up by the chubby Slytherin girl. She crumpled the paper before shooting a glare towards the group of Slytherins, Eva included.

The blonde was taken aback by the glare but decided to shrug it off like everything else. "I _might_ try out." Eva tried to concentrate on the lecture but found herself yawning as well.

Theodore who was seated nearby overheard their conversation. "Really? You're trying out? That's wonderful!"

"_Might!_" Eva stressed. She smiled though at his enthusiasm. He was no different from Tracey.

"Theodore here's a Chaser." Tracey explained. "Why not try out as a Chaser, Eva?"

"I told you guys. I may or may _not_ try out."

Theodore gave her a confused look. "Huh? I thought you were sure to try out?" He was obviously too caught up in his enthusiasm for the sport to even hear what she was saying earlier. "What's stopping you from trying out, Eva?"

"Well..." Eva chuckled, remembering her conversation with Dumbledore. "Let's just say I'm not particularly gifted with _excellent_ flying abilities."

This came as a surprise to the group, especially to the other blonde who was seated beside Theodore and who was already close to being convinced that they were indeed twins due to their uncanny similarities.

Draco smirked. "Really now?" Eva was astonishingly good with their subjects. He could scarcely believe that a little flying would be difficult for her. "No need to be so modest."

"Yeah, you're good at almost everything!" Theodore laughed. "I'm sure your flying skills are as awesome as Draco's."

"Oh, I wasn't being modest, believe me." She chuckled again, trying to take down notes from the ghost professor's lecture. The novelty of being taught by a non-mortal had not worn off just yet. Eva was still fascinated by the ghost of Professor Binns going on about important dates and events like there wasn't anything wrong with him. "I'm serious here and it's been a while since I last rode on a broom."

"Surely you can't be _that_ bad at flying?"

Silence.

"Right?" Tracey asked, uncertainty now evident in her voice.

Eva finally put her quill down and looked at her friends. "Okay, here it is: The last time I tried flying, I broke my broom, an arm, a couple of ribs and one very expensive window."

The group looked at her, wide-eyed.

"Wow." Theodore and Tracey chorused.

Eva smiled. "Yep."

There was a pause before the group broke out in laughter. Even Draco had to smile in amusement. As it turned out, his perfect little twin wasn't so perfect after all. She really, _really_ was a bundle of surprises.

Wiping the merry tears from his eyes, Theodore was the first to speak up. "That's rich. Well if you're planning to try out, you're gonna need some practice."

"What she needs is a bloody _miracle_." Millicent teased as she busied herself making another paper plane.

Theodore scratched his chin in thought. "Or a really good coach." He turned to his seatmate and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Draco here's the best flyer among us. He'll coach you!"

The blonde boy raised an eyebrow, brushing his friend's hand off him. "Don't go volunteering someone else's services, Nott!"

"Come on, Draco." This time Tracey was the one encouraging him. "Don't be so stingy. If she turns out to be an awesome Chaser then she's going to be a great addition to our team."

"So why don't you guys coach her then? It's not like I've got nothing to do during my spare time."

"Really, it's fine guys-" Eva tried to dissuade her friends. She wasn't all that interested in joining anyway but Theodore butted in.

"Really now? All you'll be doing is snogging the Slytherin harpy...or, more likely, hiding from her." It was a good thing Pansy wasn't in their class. She would have hexed Theodore's favorite appendage off. "And besides, she'll need a really good coach for her to even lift off a couple of meters from the ground without hurting herself. No offense, Eva."

"None taken. But seriously, it's oka-"

"Come on. You're the team's captain! There's no one more fit to coach her." Tracey added, and placing an arm around Eva's shoulders, "Right, Eva?"

Draco sighed. "Fine, fine! Just stop nagging already. I get enough of that from Pansy." He then looked at the other blonde and smirked. "You know who to blame for getting enlisted in Hogwart's most intensive and _gruesome_ Quidditch training. Just don't be late for our practices."

_"Guess that means I really_will_be trying out_." Eva smiled. "Thanks. I'll do my best."

She wasn't exactly interested in the sport but this now gave her the opportunity to get to know her possible childhood friend better.

Little did she know, Draco also saw this as an opportunity to get to know _her_. 

* * *

><p>After the class that seemed to stretch on forever because of the lifeless lecture (also quite literally 'lifeless' due to the fact that they were being taught by a ghost), the students filed out, with some stretching themselves out from a good nap. Tracey and Theodore were both excited with Eva's tryouts and were bombarding her with so much Quidditch information that she almost missed what transpired between Draco and the bushy-haired, intelligent girl from their class. The two had accidentally bumped each other's shoulders on their way out of the classroom.<p>

"Watch it, mudblood!" Draco fumed. "Don't get your filth on my clothes!"

"_You_ watch where _you're_ going, Malfoy!" The girl unblinkingly retorted. She too was fuming and pink in the face.

Eva was just plain shocked. Shocked to see such a blatant display of prejudice from the blonde who, just a few minutes earlier, was rather pleasant to her (in his own subtle way) and was even giving her some tips for her tryouts.

Theodore groaned. "Uh-oh...here we go again."

"_Again?_" Eva couldn't believe this was actually happening. And apparently more than once, too.

Tracey sighed. "Yeah, those two are always having a row. As you know, Draco isn't particularly pleased with non-purebloods. Hermione Granger's muggle-born but, as you can see, isn't afraid to stand up to him."

Millicent was also with them, watching the fight from a distance. She scowled. "Well, Granger had it coming."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Malfoy seethed.

"Then don't be such an arrogant git! ...then again, I don't think you can actually _help_ it."

"Just like you can't help being a know-it-all and a _grade-grubbing_ teacher's pet!"

"Leave her alone, Malfoy!" Reinforcements came immediately in the form of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. "Yeah, sod off!"

"Well, well, well! Scarhead and Weasel to the rescue, eh?" Draco scoffed. "Pathetic. Next time, tell your mudblood friend to watch who she bumps into." The blonde walked away from the fuming trio, frowning and clutching at his chest. "Let's go, Nott."

Theodore excused himself before running after his best friend.

Eva, however, stood in place, still shocked. Tracey patted her shoulder. "If you put Draco Malfoy and those three in one room, expect chaos."

"This _really_ happens all the time?"

The dark-haired girl shrugged. "After a while, you kind of get used to it."

Harry and Ron tried to comfort their friend. "Typical Malfoy." Ron muttered. "Don't mind him, 'Mione."

But the witch was still fuming. She turned her attention to Millicent and stomped towards the group of Slytherin girls. "And you!"

Millicent was taken aback but wasn't about to back down from a fight. Neither of them had forgotten about their brawl during the Duelling club from their second year at Hogwarts.

"Take that finger away from my face, Granger, before I break it!"

"The paper planes are getting really old, really fast."

"Fancy dungbombs then?"

"Oh grow up, Bulstrode!"

With a final glare at Millicent and then at the two other girls, Hermione stomped off, her best friends right behind her.

Millicent chuckled. "See how mental she is?"

Eva's brows furrowed while Tracey sighed. "What you did wasn't exactly nice, Millicent."

"Slytherins aren't known for being '_nice_', Davis. You should know that by now. Anyway, I'll see you guys later." She too walked off leaving Tracey and Eva with each other.

Tracey sighed once more. "Ah, the life of a Slytherin."

The two started walking to their next class. Eva only looked at her friend as she tried to comprehend everything that had just happened. She was coming to see that Slytherins weren't particularly liked by the other Houses.

"I'm telling you now, Eva, it's pretty hard to make friends outside our House. You saw how Hermione Granger looked at both of us even though we barely spoke two words to her?"

"Yeah, I've been getting those looks from her a lot, too."

"We can't really blame her, you know. She probably thinks we have the same prejudice against her. I mean, it doesn't help that Slytherins have this reputation of being chauvinistic, arrogant snobs and some Slytherins are actually pretty keen on maintaining that reputation."

Eva had to agree. Some of their housemates really weren't as pleasant or, at least, as civil as Tracey. That definitely explained the glares she'd get from random Gryffindors and, occasionally, from Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.

"It also doesn't help that we hang around with Draco and Millicent so much. Pansy isn't so popular with the Gryffindors either."

"Why do they dislike non-purebloods so much anyway?" But right after Eva asked the question, the answer almost immediately hit her.

Family issues.

She had these and the others most likely had them, too. They were probably brainwashed to think badly of non-purebloods since childhood. In many ways, she understood them. She understood how they felt, why they felt that way. That's why she could never really dislike Pansy or Millicent...or Draco.

But she also knew that no matter how much their parents might have brainwashed them, they always had a _choice_ in the matter. Like her, they could always choose to open their eyes to the truth and look beyond the blood and social status.

She clutched at the stone from her necklace through the fabric of her blouse.

They weren't mindless drones. They were people capable of making their own decisions.

They weren't unfeeling. They were capable of compassion.

They were capable of change.

And with the imminent events hovering over them like a shadow, what they definitely needed was unity. 

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Whew! Yet another difficult chapter to write/type. Gaahhh, chapters are getting harder and harder to type. Haha! But I guess that's part of the fun. :P**

**So we have a sort of "rivalry" between Draco and Eva, and now _another_ one between Hermione and Eva. Things are definitely heating up as personalities clash and as the story goes on.**

**And it looks like Eva isn't as perfect as some people think she is. Draco's coaching her. Let's see how that turns out. Haha. :)**

**AND! DracoxOC goodness coming up in the next chapter! Wooh! Finally! Hahaha. :D**

**Thanks for the reviews! They are love. Please continue to spread the love. Haha! :D**


	8. Rivalries & One Horrendous Flight

**CHAPTER 8**  
><strong>"Rivalries &amp; One Horrendous Flight"<strong>

Eva had heard from Tracey that they never had just one Defence Against the Dark Arts professor stay for more than a school year. Some students were under the impression that the post was jinxed. Tracey also shared that their lessons were inconsistent due to the differences in teaching styles. The flow of lessons therefore was rather unpredictable but both girls could tell that with their new professor, classes were bound to be more interesting.

Although Eva wasn't particularly fond of the dark arts (even though it was her tutor's favorite topic to teach), she found her D.A.D.A. classes to be the most interesting and informative of all her classes, and therefore, looked forward to it everyday. It helped that their new teacher, Professor Remus Lupin, was engaging, was more of a hands-on kind of professor, and was most certainly competent. She, along with many other students, highly respected him.

It also helped that their professor was fair, kind and (despite the scars on his face) actually quite handsome.

In Eva's eyes anyway.

"Eva," Tracey whispered, but her blonde friend was lost in her own thoughts, staring rather dreamily at their professor.

Tracey chuckled. When they had first met, Eva was this quiet and secretive little thing. Now, the blonde's different and decidedly more interesting sides were slowly surfacing. She smiled. "Eva, I never really took you for someone with a tendency to harbor schoolgirl crushes on teachers."

Eva snapped back to reality. She looked at Tracey, unaware that said friend had just found her out.

She did indeed have a teensy weensy crush on their D.A.D.A. professor, but wasn't exactly planning on sharing this sensitive information with anyone at the moment. It was her first time having a crush on a teacher. She never could imagine harboring any romantic feelings for her tutor, Mr. Burke, the only teacher she had known for years. He was a lot like Professor Snape - stiff and stoic, cold and dark. While her potion's teacher wore black, her tutor wore dark green AND black. He had long dark hair peppered with gray and he sported a rough beard.

She couldn't help noticing that the teacher before her now was very different. Professor Lupin was warm, pleasant, cheerful and approachable. Eva thought it was ironic how someone like him would be teaching them the dark arts.

"Sorry?" Eva asked. "I didn't catch that."

Tracey chuckled again. "Nothing. I said Professor Lupin's very good, isn't he?"

Eva wondered at her friend's strange smirk, but didn't really bother herself with it. "Yes, he definitely is." She smiled before going back to staring at the man who was getting into a very energetic discussion on hinkypunks. Tracey only shook her head in amusement.

"Now then, who here can tell me something about hinkypunks and their favorite pastime?" Professor Lupin smiled, looking around the room for any volunteers.

Two hands immediately shot up at the same time, one of which belonged to Eva.

Due to the crush she harbored for the professor, Eva made it a point to recite as much as she could in his class. Little did she know, the other girl who also had her hand up and who went by the name of Hermione Granger saw this as a challenge, kindling the rivalry she felt she had with the blonde.

"Uh-oh." Ron muttered to Harry after seeing the fire in their best friend's eyes. "Professor Lupin better make the right decision or we'll _never_ hear the end of it."

Draco crossed his arms. "Well isn't _she_ enthusiastic." He and his posse also noted the change in their fellow Slytherin. They observed that she was rather quiet during their other classes and recited only occasionally, even though they were sure she knew the answers to most, if not all, of the questions judging from the high marks she would get on quizzes and homework. Her marks were even higher than Draco's, eliciting raised eyebrows from the trio.

The professor looked from one girl to the other. "Ah, good to see such eager students in the class!" He looked at Eva. "Yes, Ms. Bellator?"

Eva pinked a little as she felt a surge of happiness shoot through her. She stood up smiling brightly, ready to answer the question and oblivious to the disappointment and anger welling up inside the other girl. "Hinkypunks are rather mischievous creatures. At first glance, they appear to be made of smoke. They are small, one-legged and have a hobby of leading travelers off track, particularly at night."

"Very good, Ms. Bellator! It looks like you've been doing some early reading." Professor Lupin beamed, pleased with his student's effort. "10 points to Slytherin!"

"Is it just me or did she just have a _Granger moment_ there?" Blaise scoffed.

His blonde best mate raised an eyebrow. "I think she _did_ just have a Granger moment."

"Whoa...scary..." Theodore said, bewildered. "But hey, at least those points she won are for our house."

"Doesn't change the fact that she just sounded a lot like the Gryffindor bookworm." Draco scowled. "Merlin, one Granger is enough." 

* * *

><p>After classes, Pansy immediately sought after her prey, one very blonde and very elusive Slytherin. To her dismay, he was nowhere to be found. She returned to their common room and sat in a huff with her roommates.<p>

Daphne looked up from the book she was reading and noticed the pout on her friend's face. "What's troubling _you_?"

Pansy sighed dramatically. "Have any of you seen Drakie? I can't seem to find him anywhere!"

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Draco? _Again?_" Their friend really was harboring an unhealthy attachment for their blonde housemate. She thought herself lucky she wasn't in the same state of mind as Pansy even though she had had her fling with the same blonde. "Seriously, dear, you need to find another occupation to keep you busy."

Millicent, who was writing her Transfiguration essay on the coffee table, sniggered. "'Cause _he's_ certainly found another occupation to keep _him_ busy."

Pansy sat up straight immediately after hearing this. With her eyes narrowed and arms crossed, she asked (but really more like demanded), "And what do you mean by _that_?"

Millicent couldn't help grabbing the opportunity for a good tease. She knew Pansy well enough to know that a very psychotic green-eyed monster would be rearing its ugly head out at the smallest chance of her precious Drakie-poo bestowing his attention on another girl.

"Don't you know?" She asked in a forcefully innocent tone that made Daphne raise both eyebrows this time. "Eva's trying out for our Quidditch team but she's got just about as much flight in her as a penguin."

Pansy, too, raised an eyebrow, still not able to see the connection. "And so?"

"_So..._ Guess who's giving her flying lessons right now." 

* * *

><p>Eva found herself dragging her feet towards the Quidditch Pitch with Tracey and Theodore walking on either side of her, trying to keep themselves from laughing their heads off. She had a borrowed school broom in one hand and a first aid kit in the other. The two other Slytherins broke out in laughter earlier on after seeing the kit. They had assured her that she wouldn't need it. Eva, however, wasn't convinced and did not at all want a repeat of her last flying session.<p>

If she was going to be completely honest about it, she was pretty nervous. It was only the start of the school year and she didn't want to end up spending most of it in the hospital. She also realized what a bad idea it was for her to eat that treacle tart before her lessons. Her stomach was doing flips and flops and she hadn't even ridden on the broom yet.

She groaned inwardly._"Why did I agree to this again?"_

Then she saw Draco flying around the pitch.

_"Oh yeah, that's why."_

He was definitely one heck of a flyer. The boy seemed to soar effortlessly in the air, as if he were one with his broom. She thought she even saw an actual _smile_ on his face. She had never really seen him smile without even just a hint of sarcasm. Or teasing. Or taunting. The smile, if it really was a smile, was nice.

And she remembered her childhood friend again. This was her chance to get to know Draco better. During classes and breaks Draco was always preoccupied with his best friends or with Pansy so this would probably be her only real chance.

The three watched the boy quickly land, then walk towards them. The smile was gone and was replaced by his signature scowl. "Oi! What are you two doing here?"

"What's the matter, Draco?" Theodore snorted. "Were you looking forward to_private lessons_?"

"Nott, don't make me stick this very expensive broom up your-"

"Okaaay." Tracey interrupted, stepping between the two boys. "We're here for emotional support, of course. I mean, we _are_ responsible for placing her into _your_ hands."

Draco smirked and crossed his arms. "Really now? And it has absolutely nothing to do with wanting to see her infamous flying skills for yourselves?"

Eva looked indignant. "Of course not." Her friends' silence and blushes, however, weren't exactly sending the same message. "...right?"

She looked at Theodore who was scratching his head guiltily. "Theodore?"

"Well...um..."

She looked at Tracey who was rubbing her arm from embarrassment. "Tracey?"

"Err...well...okay, okay...maybe that, too." She chuckled. "Sorry, Eva."

"But mostly to provide emotional support!" The dark-haired boy added defensively.

Eva shook her head, feigning disappointment and fighting back a smile.

The blonde then surveyed his twin. He gruffly took the broom from her and examined it closely. "A school broom? These aren't very good to practice with. Don't you have your own?"

"Afraid not, sorry. I never really got around to buying a new broom after breaking my last one."

With a "tsk", he gave the broom back and looked at the first aid kit. He raised an eyebrow. "What's this?" His smirk was once again plastered on his face. "Don't trust my coaching abilities, eh?"

"It's not that. More like," The witch blushed slightly. "I don't trust _my_ flying abilities."

Draco looked at her for a while in amusement before grabbing the kit and shoving it into Theodore's arms. "Just make sure you two stay out of the way." Then, casting a look at Eva, he scoffed, "We don't need more than one casualty."

Eva resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She did kind of want to laugh at her own silliness as well. "I get it, I get it. I already know I'm a bad flyer." She mounted her broom and slowly hovered.

Draco's smirk grew. "Let's see just _how_ bad."

Personally, he couldn't wait to witness her horrendous flying. The blonde witch had been outdoing him in each of their classes, even in Potions where he actually exerted the most effort. He had grown to find it quite annoying and infuriating that he had to compete with yet another student for the highest grades. As if Granger wasn't bad enough. It gave him some satisfaction to find out that he was at least better than his twin at _something_.

Of course, he didn't really hate her...at least not _yet_. He just found her annoying. Of course, he still wanted to find out more about his twin and rival, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to coach her. "Come on! We haven't got all day!"

Eva gripped her broom tightly, praying to any higher being that her flight be a painless one. "You might want to back oooooffff-" Her broom immediately zoomed off in dizzying circles and zigzags at a dangerously high speed (which was unusual since the school brooms could only go so fast). She almost crashed into one of the spectator towers. Luckily she was able to veer her broom to the side. It almost looked like she was drunk-flying.

It looked ridiculous.

Draco couldn't keep his laughter in. "This is priceless!" He managed between hearty laughs. "She's worse than _Longbottom!_" At this observation, the two spectators also doubled over in laughter.

It wasn't until Eva almost crashed into another spectator tower that they realized it wasn't safe anymore. For_anyone_.

"Draco, I think you need to go help her now." Tracey said after calming down.

"I don't know," Draco chuckled. "I think we could wait a littler longer." He was clearly still enjoying the show.

Tracey just shot him a glare.

"Fine, fine. Don't get your knickers in a knot, Davis." Draco, still chuckling, mounted his broom and flew off toward the other blonde who, in turn, careened toward yet another spectator tower.

Meanwhile, Eva closed her eyes and braced herself for impact. _"Oh Merlin...this is it..."_

Suddenly, she felt her broom being pulled roughly to the side and slowly decrease in speed. She was no longer going around in circles or zigzags.

"What..."

Eva opened her eyes and saw a familiar smirk beside her. Draco had pulled their brooms together and had stabilized her flight. His usually pale and serious face was tinged with pink from laughter. For a moment, Eva forgot about her close encounter with the tower. Although his laughter was at her expense, she realized she didn't really mind.

She thought he looked _nice_when he smiled.

"If I were Madam Hooch, I'd give you a 'Troll' in Flying." The taunting didn't quite reach his eyes. For once, his mercurial eyes actually looked cheerful. "It should be a_crime_ to have flying skills like yours."

With Draco's guidance, the two landed safely on the ground. Theodore and Tracey immediately ran over to them. "You alright there, Eva?" Theodore asked, chuckling a bit. "Guess you really _weren't_ being modest about your flying skills."

"I'm okay..." Right after she said this, however, she felt the contents of her stomach churning. It took everything in her not to puke right there and then. She _really_ shouldn't have had that treacle tart. "Scratch that...Tracey...loo!"

"Right!" Tracey jumped to her friend's side. "We'll be right back." The two girls hurried off to the nearest loo, leaving the boys in the pitch.

Theodore turned to his best mate. "Well that was something."

Draco watched in amusement as the two girls hurried off. "Looks like coaching her might actually be fun." 

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Had loads of fun coming up with this chapter! I hope you enjoy reading it as well.**

**Remus Lupin has always been my favorite Hogwarts professor! I just had to add him to my story. I, too, have a teensy weensy crush on the werewolf professor. Teehee! :D**

**I assure you, there will be more DracoxEva goodness coming up in the next chapter! Being coached by one handsome Draco Malfoy, after all, has its perks. ;)**

**Thanks for the reviews! I do hope you send me more comments or any suggestions you may have. :)**


	9. Flying Lessons

**CHAPTER 9  
>"Flying Lessons"<strong>

"How are your flying lessons so far, Eva?" Tracey asked the blonde as she chewed on her toast.

Both Daphne and Millicent looked at Pansy to see her reaction to the question. Both of them knew that their friend still wasn't over the fact that Draco was coaching Eva and was thus spending more time with the fellow blonde after classes than with her.

Through gritted teeth, Pansy bitterly asked, "Ah yes, how _are_ your flying lessons with Draco?" The dark-haired girl clearly wasn't in the mood to use her pet name for him.

Not yet aware of the anger bubbling up inside her roommate, Eva casually answered, "Good. He's been very helpful." Then, chuckling and casting a meaningful look at Tracey, "I've definitely improved since the first time I flew on the school broom."

To this, Tracey chuckled as well. Daphne smirked, "Millicent's been telling us all about your _legendary_ flying skills."

"Yeah," Millicent said through mouthfuls. "Told 'em you had as much flight in you as a penguin."

"Yes, those were her exact words."

Eva just rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Millicent."

"Is that really true though, Eva?" Pansy looked at her through narrowed eyes, swishing the contents of her goblet around absentmindedly.

The blonde's grin faltered. "What do you mean?"

Pansy said flatly, "I can scarcely believe that _flying_ is such a challenge for you." And in a haughty tone, she added, "I mean you _are_ so good at everything else."

Tracey sensed the animosity building up and shot Pansy a look which the latter ignored. "I don't think Eva would fake something as embarrassing as that, Pansy."

Eva didn't miss the tone Pansy used either. Maintaining eye contact, she replied, "I'm not 'so good' at flying, I'm afraid." She smiled, trying to dispel the tension. "Nobody's perfect anyway, right?"

Pansy slammed her goblet down on the table and stood up. "Well you sure _act_ like it." She then stomped off, leaving a stunned Eva.

"Don't mind her." Tracey comforted her friend. "Probably just a little jealous you get to spend so much time with her 'Drakie'."

"_Probably?_" Daphne laughed. "This is Pansy we're talking about here! I'd say that's _exactly_ the reason why she's in such a foul mood recently."

"Well she doesn't have to worry about me stealing Draco away from her." Eva exclaimed, going back to her breakfast. "I'm just not interested."

This statement, however, steered her thoughts back to one of her earlier and more interesting flying lessons with the blonde boy. At that time, he was still teaching her how to balance on the broom and fly straight instead of the crazy zigzags and circles she tended to fly in.

_~ FLASHBACK ~_

_Eva zoomed past Draco, just barely missing him and avoiding one very serious lawsuit from the boy and his family. Fortunately, he was able to dodge just in time._

_"Whoa! Watch it!" He shouted, regaining his balance._

_"Sorry! Accident!" Eva shouted back._

_She was close to flying out of the pitch boundaries so she made a sudden turn, causing her to lose balance and fall off the broom, but some amount of luck was still on her side as she was able to at least hang on to her broom._

_So there she was, hovering a great distance away from the ground and hanging on for dear life, while Draco chuckled._

_Noticing the absence of badly needed help, Eva shouted, "Help me already!"_

_She dared to look down and immediately regretted doing so when she saw just how high up she was. _This definitely wasn't the time for him to make fun of her. _Seeing that the boy made no move to help her, she morbidly wondered what kind of sound her bones would make should she lose her grip on the broom and come in painful contact with the ground. Realizing, however, that she'd probably be dead before she would be able to register the sickening sound of her bones breaking, she shook the idea away from her head._

_"Help me!" She shouted louder this time. "NOW!"_

_Draco leisurely flew beside the witch. "Well, well, well. Whatever happened to the ever-so-polite Eva Bellator?"_

_"This is hardly the time for teasing, Draco!" Her hands were already starting to slip off the broom._

_With a smirk, he quickly helped her back up to her broom._

_"I could've fallen, you know!" Eva exclaimed, trying to calm her nerves. Sometimes, his teasing just went too far._

_She had definitely gotten to know her 'twin' better during their little flying lessons. She found that he was quite the smart-ass. He was constantly teasing people and being arrogant, and always had something mean to say. She found him amusing and entertaining sometimes. But at other times, much like this one, she was turned (and even pissed) off by him._

_At that moment, she was definitely pissed off, and that was saying something, seeing as she rarely lost her temper and usually kept her feelings to herself._

_"I could've gotten hurt!" She fumed._

_Eva waited for an apology or at least something close to one. But the boy just looked at her. He even had this amused look on his face._

_"What are _you_ smiling on about?"_

_Draco smirked. "Looks like you _are_ human."_

_Eva's brows furrowed. "What?" Her anger was quickly replaced by confusion. What in the world was he saying? What did he think she was? A pixie? A glittery unicorn princess?_

_"It's the first time I've seen you get all riled up." He continued to smirk, as he led them back down to the ground. "All I can say is it's better than you staying so quiet all the time, which is kind of creepy."_

_So he thought she was quiet? Well, it didn't really come as a surprise to her. She wasn't exactly the outgoing type. What _did _come as a surprise, however, was that he actually noticed her _enough_ to make those observations._

_"And besides," he said upon landing. "I wouldn't have let you fall."_

_That easily got rid of the remaining annoyance stirring inside Eva. She looked at him with wide eyes. He really was a mystery. She didn't know if she was supposed to still be angry at him for his recklessness or if she was supposed to feel relieved that he had enough heart to not let her fall to a painful death._

_Draco then walked over to the stands, left his broom there, and walked back to her. Seeing the confusion on his twin's face, he explained, "I won't be needing my broom for now. Get back on yours."_

_Still more than a little confused, Eva slowly climbed back onto her broom and shakily hovered close to the ground. Before she could ask, Draco climbed onto her broom and sat right behind her._

_Startled, she tried to climb off, but Draco effectively trapped her in her seat when he encircled her with his long arms, grabbing onto her broom just a few centimeters away from her own hands._

_"What are you-"_

_He immediately cut her off. "You _clearly _need a lot of help just keeping balance and control of your broom. I'll be flying with you until you get the hang of it." _

_"F-Fine." She stammered._

_She could almost hear the smirk in his voice when he added, "Don't worry, I won't try anything funny."_

_She felt her face burn up at that statement. It wasn't until he said that did she notice how close they actually were to each other. Their hands gripping her broom were almost touching. Her hair was quite short so his warm breath was tingling the back of her neck, making her heart beat even faster and her senses heighten. Should she scoot even just slightly backwards, her back would be pressed against his broad chest. _

_And she noticed one more thing that made her blush like crazy..._

_He smelled nice._

_~ END OF FLASHBACK ~_

Eva pinked after the little scene in her head. With less confidence, she repeated, "Nope...Definitely _not_ interested."

Daphne, however, had a sharp eye. She settled for smirking. "Really now..."

* * *

><p>Draco hovered on his broom, watching the other blonde from a safe distance.<p>

"Keep the movements simple!" Draco called out. "Don't make any sudden turns!"

He watched as Eva flew slowly but steadily around the pitch. Draco had to admit, she really was improving. When they first started, Eva flew like a madman, and even _that_ was an understatement. Now, she at least flew like a first year that was still getting the hang of his first broom ever.

That was progress, really.

Eva made a quick turn at one point, steering her broom dangerously close to the Quidditch stands, and almost prompting Draco to fly to her rescue. She was able to regain control, however, before she crashed into said stands.

"Oi! I told you not to make any sudden turns!"

Eva tucked a stray strand behind an ear and chuckled. "Sorry about that!" The movement caused her broom to swivel a bit.

"And didn't I tell you to keep both hands on the broom?"

The witch immediately put her hand back on the broom. "Oh yeah, sorry!"

"Honestly!" He sighed from exasperation.

After a few more minutes, Draco and Eva decided to take a break. Setting his broom aside, Draco relaxed on the Quidditch stands. Eva followed suit but decided to plop down on a seat lower than that of her coach. From where they were seated, they could clearly see the castle.

A comfortable silence settled between them as Eva took to admiring the castle and all its splendor while Draco remained lost in his thoughts. After a while though, Eva broke the silence.

"Quidditch tryouts are coming up soon," she started. "And yet I've just barely learned to fly."

Theodore and Tracey both wanted her to tryout as a Chaser for their team, but that meant that she would need to know more than just flying. She would need to learn Quidditch rules and tactics, how to score goals as a Chaser, how to avoid Bludgers, etc.

Amusedly, she added, "At this rate, I wonder if I'll be able to tryout at all."

"Well at least you're not _falling off_ your broom anymore." He scoffed.

Eva pinked a little. Apparently he hadn't forgotten about_ that_ particular flying lesson either.

"Hey, that just happened once..." She argued weakly.

She'd been trying to keep the memory out of her head but it just kept coming back. The memory flustered her whenever she recalled it. It bothered her. She was a Bellator and Bellators weren't supposed to get flustered. Getting flustered was, supposedly, beneath them. In an effort to change the subject, Eva added, "And besides, I think I've progressed to more than just keeping myself on the broom."

"True, you've managed balancing and steering," Draco smirked. "At a _beginner's_ level anyway."

Eva was going to say something to refute him but she realized he was actually spot on.

He then sneered, "Who would've guessed the girl who could use 'Ducklifors' to turn her opponents into pathetic little ducks could have so much trouble flying?"

Draco chuckled as he recalled how she had turned Neville Longbottom into a duck during one of their classes, making him look even more ridiculous (if that was even possible).

"My folks sure wouldn't have guessed _that_ in a million years." Eva mused out loud as she stared off into space.

She suddenly remembered her home, the house elves working for them, her tutor and her parents. It had been a while since her parents' last and only letter to her. When she had owled them a letter saying that she was sorted into Slytherin, that she was doing well in her subjects and that she had made some friends (careful to point out that they were all from her House), her father merely replied with more reminders and some news about home. She had sent them other letters but a reply had not come yet.

She was also keeping correspondence with her tutor who kept sending her all kinds of books and tomes for further reading, particularly on the dark arts. She had started her readings on dark items (though she still wondered what she'd be doing with that kind of knowledge) but eventually put them aside for her flying lessons.

Noting the silence, Draco spoke up. "What? Parents think you're their perfect little princess?"

"_Me?_ Their _perfect_ little princess?" Eva laughed lightly. "No, not at all." She shifted in her seat and rested her head in her hands. "Still though...they _expect_ perfection from me."

If they ever found out that she was this bad at flying, she'd be disowned. Or sent to some kind of flying camp where she would undergo brutal training. Or DISOWNED. There was no room for any flaws or any mistakes.

"Nothing but perfection." She thought out loud again. "Parents. What're you gonna do?" She tried to laugh it off but ended up coming short in the cheer department.

Draco stared at the back of her head. This was the first time they talked about something as personal as family life. But, this definitely _wasn't_ the first time for him to notice that the two of them shared more than just hair and eye colors. He, of all people, should know how Eva felt. Stress at home. Almost impossible expectations from parents. Almost impossible expectations from himself. In just a few simple sentences, Eva was able to express something so significant, so _relevant_ to him.

_"You never cease to surprise me,"_ he thought. Out loud, he simply said, "Guess we're on the same bloody boat then."

Eva looked back at the boy to find him stepping down from his seat. Plopping down beside her, he smirked, "All you can do is just learn to live with it." He then stared ahead. "You just do your best and hope it's enough."

The boy was smirking, but the smirk didn't quite reach his eyes. He had a distant look in them, and although he tried to talk about it casually, Eva sensed a tinge of sadness in his voice.

Was this the real Draco? Was he just hiding all this time behind all the sneering and taunting, behind the confidence and the arrogance? She wondered if his 'bad attitude' was all just a mask, a pretense.

Because at that moment, he was being very real with her. She wondered why he couldn't be like this all the time.

Eva continued to look at him and smiled. "Thanks for coaching me."

* * *

><p>After a challenging quiz in their Transfiguration class, Eva and friends filed out of the classroom.<p>

"That pop quiz was impossible!" Theodore complained, violently scratching his head from the stress. "I don't remember covering Switching Spells in class!"

Blaise chuckled, smacking the back of his friend's head. "That's probably because you keep falling asleep in class, you twit."

"Hands off the hair, Blaise!" Theodore smoothed out his dark hair. "She's torturing us, you know! Even after that bloody quiz, McGonagall expects us to research on Animagus Transfigurations!"

Eva chuckled at her hysterical friend. "It's just a quick visit to the library, Theodore."

"He's allergic to books." Pansy explained grumpily. She was still in a pretty bad mood and was holding onto Draco's arm like her life depended on it.

"It's true!" Theodore said, putting a hand up as if the gesture made him more credible. "I once tried reading my Herbology book and I ended up breaking into hives!"

"And that has _nothing_ to do with the peanut butter tarts you downed before reading the book?" Draco sneered, giving his best friend a knowing look.

The blonde witch laughed, "What's wrong with peanut butter tarts? They're good!"

"He's allergic to peanut butter." Tracey whispered to Eva. The two girls looked at him and giggled, sending a blush to both Theodore's cheeks. He was rather tall and good-looking. Girls usually gushed whenever he passed by. To be so_ silly_ definitely wasn't in his appearance.

When they reached another hallway, Eva turned to go. "Alright, I'll see you guys later."

Theodore, however, expecting that she'd be hanging out with them, stopped her. "What? Where are you going, Eva?"

"I've got some free time so I'm gonna start on that research."

Pansy arched an eyebrow. "Really now," she scoffed. "Well aren't _you_ studious?"

"I won't have time to do it later." Eva replied nonchalantly. She wasn't exactly looking for a fight although the other witch clearly was. "I'll be practicing for the tryouts."

Draco broke away from Pansy and stepped forward. "Speaking of which, guess I'll be starting on the research as well." He then smirked at Eva. "Hope you don't mind the company, Bellator...although technically, you of all people _shouldn't _mind, seeing as you're the reason I've got less free time on my hands."

Eva just smiled. "I don't mind."

Pansy looked like she was about to explode from anger while the other Slytherins just looked at each other.

"Errr...okay then." Blaise waved goodbye. "See you later, mate."

"See you, Eva!" Tracey had to drag Pansy away while she glared daggers into the blonde witch.

Thus, Draco and Eva walked together towards the library. "You know," she said, stealing a look at the other blonde. "Pansy's probably not too happy about you spending your time with another girl."

Draco looked at her in a mixture of annoyance and surprise. "Didn't think you actually cared about what Parkinson thought."

Eva shrugged. "She _is _my roommate."

She didn't particularly enjoy Pansy's company like she did Tracey's, especially now that the former was treating her like a sworn enemy because of her flying lessons with Draco. But, she didn't particularly dislike Pansy either. Although they weren't close friends, they were still roommates and she didn't want to cause a fuss between them.

"She really likes you, too."

"She doesn't _own_ me! I can spend my time with whoever I please." He snapped. Then, in a calmer tone, Draco added, "And I'd really much rather spend it with someone sensible like you than with _that_ persistent bird."

And there it was again.

Eva felt her heatbeat quicken and her face warm up. What was going on? Why was she reacting that way? She was getting uncharacteristically flustered.

Yet again.

She tried to think of anything - anything to distract herself from the fact that they were the only ones walking down that particular hallway. She tried to distract herself from the fact that his hand accidentally brushed a couple of times with her own as they walked side by side. Outside, she was calm and composed, but inside was a whole other story.

They continued their walk in silence until they bumped into a familiar Gryffindor girl upon turning the corner. The bushy haired girl fell back on the floor and scattered her papers around.

Eva was about to apologize but Draco cut her off. "You again?" He had immediately switched from being cool and calm to livid. "Didn't I tell you to watch where you're going, Mudblood?"

Hermione quickly gathered her papers. "It was an accident, Malfoy!" She glared at him. "Get over it!"

Draco seethed. With a flick of his wand, the poor girl's papers went flying out the nearby window before she could collect them all.

"My essays!" She gasped, running toward the window in a futile attempt to catch the pieces of paper before they were lost. Hermione watched helplessly as her papers floated down to the grounds.

"Hmph! Pathetic." Draco spat before walking off. After taking a few steps, he noticed Eva wasn't following. He turned around, frowning. "Bellator?"

Dumbfounded as she was, Eva just stood there. She didn't know what to do. She felt torn. What Draco did was wrong and she felt sorry for Hermione. At the same time, though, she knew that any form of help she would give the girl would result in angering Draco who was recently rather pleasant and even friendly towards her.

She could choose to help the other girl like her conscience told her to...or she could walk away and _not_ risk losing her friendship with her fellow Slytherin.

"Are you coming or what?" Draco repeated, impatience now clear in his voice.

Eva took one last look at Hermione before turning her back on the Gryffindor and walking back to Draco's side.

But with every step she took away from the girl, she felt less and less like herself...and more like the typical Slytherin hated by a greater percentage of the Hogwarts population.

_"This is how things are supposed to be...right?"_ She thought, trying to justify her moment of weakness. _"This is what my parents have been going on about...pureblood camaraderie, right?"_

But her thoughts gave no comfort. In her heart, she knew she was wrong. Eva felt disgusted with herself. She felt like one of those snobby and arrogant purebloods she loathed. She felt like such a hypocrite...always going on about treating people equally...yet she wasn't able to do anything to stop Draco or help Hermione.

She felt like a coward.

_"I guess the Sorting Hat was wrong,"_ she thought bitterly. _"I wouldn't have done well in Gryffindor."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you liked the little getting-to-know-you time Eva has with Draco. DracoxOC goodness finally! But at a price... :(**

**I seriously felt bad after writing this chapter. But that's the way it goes if I want the character to grow. I wanted to show you Eva's conflicted side. Here we can see Eva torn between doing the "right" thing (which her parents and other purebloods keep brainwashing her with) and doing the RIGHT thing.**

**I hope you don't end up hating the poor girl.**

**Just wait for the next chapter. She may or may not redeem herself. That's all I'm saying. HAHA. :)**

**Oh, and forgive me if my characters tend to sound a little older than they actually are. I dunno about the other characters hahahaha I guess I have to remember what it's like to be 13 again. ****But as for Eva and Draco, I did so on purpose. Sometimes, when we just have too much on our shoulders, we tend to grow up a little faster than other people. And once again, that's all I can say without spoiling the future chapters. HAHAHA.**

**No, Remus probably wasn't particularly handsome based on his description in the book. HAHA. But I guess it depends on the person. Eva finds him handsome hahaha I do, too. Teehee. :D**

**Thank you for the reviews! ****Please do keep them coming. :)**


	10. I'm Done

**CHAPTER 10**  
><strong>"I'm Done"<strong>

Eva tried to focus on Professor Flitwick's lecture on the charm, Carpe Retractum, but found it extremely difficult to do so. Right across the room, the Golden Trio were glaring daggers at her and her group of friends. Hermione's group must have already heard what had happened with her and Draco, who was apparently already used to receiving glares from them, seeing as he didn't show any signs of being bothered by it.

Before, whenever Hermione glared at Eva, it always looked like she was just annoyed. Now, it looked like she was ready to unleash on Eva all the disemboweling and dismembering spells she accumulated over years of burying her nose in those books. And the worst part is...

Eva felt she _deserved_ it.

She dared to look at the Gryffindor girl and received a specially dark glare from said girl, removing any other inclination to take a second look from Eva's mind and resigning the blonde to staring at the small professor and scribbling down notes.

"Hey Eva," Millicent whispered, elbowing the blonde a little too hard in the side. "What's up with you and Granger? She's been giving you extra dirty looks lately."

"Nothing." Eva rubbed her side and went back to scribbling.

"Doesn't look like nothin'." Millicent said incredulously. "Want me to take care of the little Mudblood for you?"

"No, I told you it's nothing," Eva answered firmly this time. "Just leave it be, Millicent."

* * *

><p>Draco and Eva hovered on their brooms at the center of the Quidditch pitch.<p>

"Let's move on to something a little harder now, shall we?" Draco pointed to the spectator towers. "You remember _those_ towers, right?"

Eva sighed. "How can I forget?"

With his smirk still firmly in place, Draco continued, "Well you're now going to try practicing_ swerving_ between those towers."

The witch just stared. She definitely hadn't forgotten about her close encounter with the spectator towers. She was relieved when Draco instructed her at first to just fly around the pitch, away from said towers. But now, she'd be swerving in between them.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"What's the matter, Bellator?" He scoffed. "Too much for you?"

Eva looked back at the blonde with narrowed eyes. He was challenging her. But she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Without replying, she steadily flew towards the towers and placed herself in between two of them. She took a deep breath and started with her exercise.

Eva flew slowly between the towers, making a zigzag pattern around the pitch. She was a little shaky and grazed the towers every now and then, but at least she wasn't falling off of her broom or repeatedly crashing into the towers.

_"If I do crash into the towers,"_ she thought, wincing when she grazed one of them again. _"It'll probably be karma doing its job."_

Needless to say, she couldn't get what happened with Hermione out of her head. How could she, when glares and dirty looks from the trio were constantly reminding her of what she had done...or what she had failed to do, which was to stop Draco or at least help the Gryffindor?

Was keeping her friendship (if they really _were_ friends, since she could never actually tell with Draco) with her fellow blonde worth giving up her principles? Was having a shot at finally being reunited with her childhood friend worth it?

"Bellator!" Draco called out. "Watch where you're going!"

Eva snapped out of her thoughts and immediately steered herself to the side, avoiding a very close, very nasty crash into a spectator tower. _"Merlin, that was close..."_

In a huff, she landed on the stands where their bags were waiting and took a seat there, unceremoniously shoving her broom to the side.

Draco landed beside her. "Oi, we're not done with practices!"

"We've been at it non-stop for a while now. I need a break...before I_ break_ something in my body." Eva reached for her bag, took out her canteen and drank from it.

The boy sighed and sat beside her. "At this rate, you really won't be able to tryout, you know!"

Eva chuckled. "And Theodore and Tracey would kill me...I know, I know." She offered him her canteen, only to have him stare at it. "Aren't you thirsty? It's not poisoned, don't worry."

"No thanks," he smirked. "I don't _share_."

The witch rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't."

After putting away the canteen, she relaxed in her seat. The view before them this time was comprised of mountains and a thick forest to one side. She had yet to explore the grounds like she had planned on her very first day at Hogwarts, but she promised herself she would soon.

"You seem distracted today, Bellator." Draco reclined in his own seat, resting his elbows on the seat above his. "Either that or you're reverting back to your original flying skills."

Eva's brows furrowed. The witch wondered why _he_ wasn't the least bit distracted. He was, after all, the instigator of the whole thing with Hermione and yet he doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. Why was she the only one feeling remorse?

She settled for: "Just got a lot on my mind."

Another silence settled between them before Draco spoke again. "Let me guess. Parent problems?"

Eva blinked.

She was more than a little surprised but wasn't exactly sure as to why she was surprised in the first place.

Was she surprised because his fight with Hermione wasn't the first reason to pop into his mind?

Was it because he now knew her enough to make those kinds of conclusions (which to some degree are actually correct)?

OR...

Was it due to the fact that Draco Lucius Malfoy _actually_ cared about what was bothering her? Draco, the indifferent, arrogant, sneering, jeering Slytherin actually _cared_?

Eva blinked again.

Her surprise was definitely because of the third.

Draco must have noticed the amused smile on her face. Looking away, he cleared his throat and scowled. "Not that it concerns _me_."

Eva smiled inwardly. "Of course it doesn't."

It was somewhat amusing how her fellow blonde would fervently hide away his emotions, only to have them slip out later on. She noticed he was also like that with his best mates, Blaise and Theodore. Blaise would sometimes talk about problems with his mother and Draco would give actual advice before switching back to scowling or taunting him. Same goes for Theodore whenever the dark-haired boy would share some problems.

Slowly, Eva was starting to really come to know Draco. She was also starting to think that he could really be her childhood friend, even though some of his actions showed the contrary. Although there were many differences between this particular blonde and the blonde from her childhood, there were also many striking similarities.

_~ FLASHBACK ~_

_It was a particularly hot summer day. Little Eva skipped through the field, humming a tune, with her umbrella opened above her fair head for protection from the scorching hot sun. She wore her sleeveless yellow sundress and slung her little bag on a shoulder. With a gleeful smile on her face, she thought up different adventures and games she and her friend would play that day._

_When their meeting place (a huge tree in the middle of the area) came into sight, she stopped her skipping and humming. Sitting under the tree's shade, huddled between its large roots, was her friend. Only, he wasn't sporting the cheerful smile he usually had on whenever they met at their tree. He was hugging his knees and his face was hidden in them._

_Upon reaching their tree, she closed her umbrella and sat down beside him, not really minding that her dress was getting dirty. It was only then did she notice the wounds and bruises on his thin legs and arms. The bruises were a gruesome purple and green. Some wounds had already turned into scabs while others were still fresh. In her innocent little mind, she thought he had tumbled down a hill or something of the sort. Softly, she asked, "Are you okay?"_

_Sniffing, the boy replied weakly. "No..." His voice was strained and it sounded like he had been crying for a long time. His ears and the part of his face she could see were also quite red._

_"Did you fall?"_

_Still not looking up, the boy shook his head and sniffed._

_Little Eva hugged her knees and stared at the boy. "What happened to your legs and your arms?"_

_The boy sniffed a couple of times. His little shoulders shook. "Father...F-Father got angry."_

_She looked at him sadly. "Oh..." After a moment of silence, she opened her bag and rummaged through her things. Eva then took out the band aids she always brought with her (since she rather liked exploring and usually got a scrape during her adventures). Wordlessly, she started putting band aids on the wounds and bruises._

_It was only then that the little boy looked up to see what his friend was up to. She saw that his eyes were watery, red and puffy. After the last band aid was stuck on, she smiled up at him. "There! Now you're ready for our adventure!"_

_He sniffed a couple of times and wiped his face on his shirt before finally smiling back. "Thank you..."_

_Hand in hand, the two children ran off into a nearby forest and played an assortment of games until sundown._

_~ END OF FLASHBACK ~_

Like Draco and herself, her childhood friend also experienced some trouble with his parents. That was the first time she saw her friend so wounded and bruised but, sad to say, it wasn't the last time she'd see him in the same state. After that day, he usually had a new wound or bruise to show whenever they met. But, although his eyes were still sometimes puffy and red, she never saw him so miserable or dejected ever again. He would just accept the band aids with a small smile on his face and they would hurry on to some unexplored area for a day's worth of fun and games.

Draco looked impatiently at Eva while she was lost in her thoughts. "So then it _is_ about your parents?"

"Well, now that you mentioned it," she chuckled. "I did finally get another owl from my parents. So now that's a total of _two_ letters from them since I went away to Hogwarts."

Draco sneered, "Well aren't _they_ stingy with letters?" But he continued to listen anyway.

"It's pretty much just like the first one though. It was still going on about getting the highest marks in class, making more pureblood friends...stuff like that." Eva let out a humorless laugh. "So technically...the total number of letters from them is still _one_."

"Well that's pathetic." He said flatly. Eva turned to him with a frown but the wry smile on his face did not falter. "My parents send me a_ lot_ of letters." And with his own humorless chuckle, he added, "Probably more than I care to receive."

Before Eva could ask what that meant, he continued. "Your letters, or in this case _letter_, isn't the only one crammed with pestering reminders to stay on top of the class and to make the right kind of friends, you know."

_"Of course..."_ Eva thought. He was going through the same things. Merlin, he probably had it _worse_. She was almost ashamed she was complaining about such things as if she were the only one experiencing them.

The boy stood up and took his broom. "So as it turns out, you've actually got it good, Bellator. The less nagging letters, the better."

She thought he made a lot of sense. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he _actually_ cheered her up. Draco Lucius Malfoy cheered her up. The world was starting to get strange...and interesting.

And she was really starting to like their flying lessons together. It gave her the opportunity to have these little talks with her fellow blonde.

He then hovered in front of her. "Anyway, enough of this pansy talk! You've slacked off enough already." And with a cocky grin on his face, "Let's see if you can finish the exercise without smacking right into a tower."

Eva chuckled (this time with more than just a hint of humor) before grabbing her own broom and flying towards the spectator towers for yet another round of practicing.

* * *

><p>"McGonagall's really outdone herself this time." Draco scowled, thrusting his notes into his bag. "It's just been a couple of weeks since the start of classes and she already has us knee-deep in all this Transfiguration bollocks."<p>

He and Eva had been doing the arduous research work assigned by their Transfiguration professor and were now exiting the library. Eva had noted that she and Draco were spending quite a lot of time together already but decided to forego commenting about it openly to avoid awkwardness or snide comments her new research buddy was rather inclined to make.

They usually got weird looks from their Slytherin friends (and a murderous one from a particular dark-haired girl) whenever they went off to do research_ together_. But seeing as they didn't comment about it, she decided not to think too much into it. Besides, they barely talked whenever they did research in the library. All they really did was share a table and a couple of books.

Eva chuckled lightly. "Maybe she's planning on giving us another quiz."

"Another one?" Draco smirked. "That would be the death of Nott."

She recalled Theodore's hysterical reaction to the words 'pop quiz' and smiled. "Can't really blame him though. Professor McGonagall's quizzes are particularly difficult. I think that would be the death of us _all_."

Then her smile faltered when she realized they were walking down an empty hallway yet again. She figured students didn't particularly like going to the library. Eva couldn't help remembering what had happened with a certain Gryffindor in that same hallway. She hoped there would not be a repeat of those events.

As if reading her thoughts, Draco added with a darker scowl on his face, "Oh, but I bet that annoying swot Granger would just _love_ a pop quiz."

He said it with so much hatred, Eva wondered what had happened between the two to cause such an anger in the blonde. She meant to inquire but the sudden change in his expression took her aback. He had a strange and menacing look in his narrowed eyes and his scowl was replaced by an equally menacing smirk.

It reminded her of a predator that had just spotted its dinner.

She followed his line of sight and sure enough there, walking towards them and struggling with a tower of books in her arms, was the prey.

Hermione. Bloody. Granger.

"Speak of the devil." Draco muttered, reaching for his wand.

Eva's blood ran cold. There it was again. It was as if the universe was taunting her with a replay of her moment of weakness. The Draco that was her flying coach, her research partner, her possible childhood pal and, she had just started to feel, her new confidante and friend had disappeared. The caring Draco had vanished and the Slytherin in him was now baring its fangs.

"Well look at what we have here." He sneered, crossing his arms.

Hermione peeked from behind the books and immediately frowned upon seeing the familiar face of the blonde. "Go away, Malfoy. I don't have time for your shenanigans."

She shot Eva a glare as well before continuing walking.

"And what makes you think I'm up to something?" Draco asked in a sickeningly innocent tone while holding up his wand and twirling it between fingers.

Hermione was completely unguarded. With all the books she was carrying, she wouldn't be able to reach for her wand to defend herself from whatever it was Draco was planning on doing. Not to mention, her best friends weren't around. It must have occurred to the Gryffindor girl for she stopped cold in her tracks. Her face was drained of color and her scowl was immediately replaced by a look of both hatred and utter fear.

_"This is really happening, isn't it..."_ Eva thought, watching the exchange between the two with bated breath. Her pulse was going crazy. _"It's happening all over again...Merlin, no..."_

"Let's see..." The boy mused, tapping his wand against his temple in the gesture of thinking. Then, assuming the stance for dueling, "I think the old _Incendio_ would be enough to teach you some manners."

Hermione gasped. "No, Malfoy!"

"Say goodbye to your precious books!"

Everything happened so fast.

There was a scream. Then a jet of scarlet light. And before anyone could register what had happened, Draco was wandless and lying on the stone floor a few feet away from both girls.

He groaned in pain and struggled to sit up. "What the hell..."

Shaking the pain at the back of his head off, his gray eyes immediately searched for the wizard that had cast the Disarming Charm. Hermione couldn't have cast it since both her hands were carrying books. Scarhead and Weasel were no where to be found. So who had the nerve to stand in his way? He turned to his fellow Slytherin.

Draco was shocked to find that her wand was not only out...but was also pointed at _him_.

Finally understanding what had happened, his expression darkened. "YOU?"

Eva stood firmly, bringing her wand hand back to her side. It shook lightly.

A couple of seconds earlier, Draco had pointed his wand at Hermione but before he could finish pronouncing the spell that would set fire to the girl's books and quite possibly to her as well, Eva had grabbed her own wand and had cast, "Expelliarmus!" Her wand, emitting the streak of red light, had disarmed the boy and had knocked him backwards.

Draco slowly got to his feet, never once taking his eyes away from Eva. She felt his hatred shoot down her spine. He glared at her like he had never done before. It was darker than any glare she had seen him shoot at anybody, including the Gryffindor standing in shock beside her. There was an unfathomable fire behind his darkened eyes and from the look he had in them now, she could comprehend only the following: deep anger, disgust and hatred. She was unnerved by the fact that she caused all of these.

"You? Of all people?" He seethed, clenching both fists until his knuckles turned white.

"Wait, Dra-"

"No! Don't you dare use my first name!" The boy snarled. "Only _friends_ can use it...and you are now far from being one!"

Eva's face fell. So their friendship, if they had one in the first place, was now reduced to ashes... But she wasn't about to back down.

"But what you did was-"

"-wrong?" Draco snapped. His face had turned a violent shade of red and a vein at his temple was starting to protrude. "How _dare_ you?"

He stomped towards Eva and angrily thrusted his finger at Hermione who was still shocked and speechless. "You_ know_ what kind of filth she is! She's muggle-born! In case you accidentally hit your head on one of the spectator towers and forgot, that means she's a damn _Mudblood_ for Merlin's sake! A filthy, _worthless_ little Mudblood!"

Something inside Eva just snapped.

Everything came rushing back to her tenfold. The pureblood society's discrimination against anything and anyone different. Her parents' overwhelming cruelty and arrogance. The closet she was once locked in, the bruises, the wounds...all because _she_ was _different_.

And she was tired - bloody tired of it all.

"I know what it means!" Eva fumed, looking levelly up at him. "I know what is expected of me! Of _us_! But that's just not a good enough excuse to bloody hurt someone or treat them like trash!"

"Didn't seem to bother you before when I sent her papers out the window!"

"And that was my own mistake! I should have stopped you but I didn't...I just stood there like an idiot. I didn't even have the guts to help her." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well I'm _done_ just standing around doing nothing! I'm _done_ being a coward!"

Draco gritted his teeth. "You bloody hypocrite...you of all people should understand that purebloods like us and filthy little Mudbloods like her can _never_ get along! She is, and forever will be, beneath us!"

"What I _understand_ is that this pureblood tradition and all those who uphold it can just go to hell!"

That did it. They were standing face-to-face in silence, seething and breathing heavily.

Something flashed quickly in the boy's eyes. It almost looked like hurt...and Eva almost felt sorry for what she said. But before she could delve deeper into it, Draco scowled, "I thought we were on the same page but it looks like you're on a whole different_ book_ now, aren't you?"

He took a couple of steps back and picked his wand up. Gruffly stuffing it into his bag, Draco spat, "Guess it was stupid of me to think that we actually shared _more_ than just appearances."

It was Eva's turn to feel the sting. She had also felt the connection with him during the times they spent together. She saw him as a friend then. A good friend, even. She felt her heart break now that everything was crumbling before her and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

"Find yourself a new flying coach, Bellator." He said bitterly as he turned to go. "I'm _done_ with you."

And he left.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Btw. Don't let the title mislead you into thinking the story's done. HAHAHA. It is _far _from being over.**

**Anyway, how was it? :(**

**Now _that_ was the hardest chapter I had to write so far. I honestly even put off coming up with this chapter because I guess it was just heartbreaking for me. I'm used to writing in a lighter mood and this is by far the most intense fight I came up with hahaha. Unfortunately, it won't be the last for Eva and Draco. *sigh***

**We can't really blame Draco though for feeling that way and for doing these things. We all know his background.**

**Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! :)**


	11. Uncertainty

**CHAPTER 11  
><strong>**"Uncertainty"**

"Eva," Tracey gently shook their blonde friend who was curled up under her covers. The girl did not stir. "It's time for breakfast. Come on, get up."

The roommates were getting ready for the day. Daphne was brushing her soft brown hair in front of her mirror. "Leave the girl alone, Tracey. She probably just wants to sleep in."

"And miss the first meal of the day?" Tracey chuckled. "I don't think so." Then turning back to her friend on the bed, "Come on, Eva! Time to get up."

"Maybe she's dead." Millicent said flatly as she sat on her own bed, petting her large black cat.

Tracey shot her a glare. "Not funny, Millicent." She then continued to shake their friend.

"Come on, we'll be late!" Pansy exclaimed, tapping her foot impatiently by the door. "It's _her_ problem if she misses breakfast."

Finally, Eva shifted under her sheets and groaned. "Go ahead. I'm not hungry."

"See? She's not coming. Let's go already." With that, Pansy left the room with Millicent and Daphne close behind. Their voices could still be heard though as they walked away.

"She's been sulking since last night. Wonder what's buggin' her."  
>"Perhaps it's her time of the month."<br>"Honestly, I hope she stays like that. That way, I'll have more time with Drakie."  
>"You're so bad, Pansy. Anyway, are you two finished with the Transfiguration research?"<br>"Oh bollocks! I forgot about that..."

Tracey sighed. Their roommates really could be so insensitive sometimes. She sat down on the blonde's bed. "Don't mind them, Eva." She said softly, sensing that something was wrong with her friend. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Eva replied without uncovering herself. "I just want to sleep in a bit...couldn't sleep at all last night. You go on ahead."

The dark-haired girl sighed. "Okay then." She looked at her friend a while longer and, seeing that the blonde had no intention of getting up, proceeded to the door. "See you in class."

Eva heard the door shut shortly after.

She uncovered herself and saw that she was the only one in the room, save Millicent's cat who was busy cleaning itself on its master's bed and her own owl, Noxx, which was still fast asleep in its cage. She reached for her teddy bear from under her pillow and hugged it against her chest. It gave her some comfort.

She hadn't really lied to Tracey. She really couldn't get to sleep the previous night. How could she, when a certain blonde's words kept ringing in her head, reminding her that she was now one friend less?

_"You of all people should understand that purebloods like us and filthy little Mudbloods like her can never get along!"_

_"Find yourself a new flying coach, Bellator. I'm done with you."_

Eva blinked back the tears that were threatening to come out. She wanted to disappear. She wished she didn't have to leave her room. Leaving her room meant seeing him, and seeing him was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment.

She still couldn't believe what had happened.

How could it be that in just a matter of minutes, they had gone from having a friendly conversation to shouting menacingly at each other? How could it be that in just a matter of _seconds_, her friend had completely turned into an impossibly arrogant, prejudiced, pompous arsehole?

Of course, she already knew Draco had the tendency to discriminate against non-purebloods. She understood why. She was, after all, very familiar with pureblood traditions. But during the time they spent together, she saw that he had a soft and sensitive side. She saw that, unlike most purebloods she had come to know, Draco had the capacity to care about people other than himself.

She was both frustrated and disappointed.

Frustrated, because he acted so much like the typical pureblood snob, thinking that he was better than everyone else, treating others like trash.

Disappointed, because she thought Draco was far _better_ than that, because she thought that he was capable of making his own choices and doing the right thing...but he himself proved her wrong when he chose the easy way out and succumbed to pureblood traditions and expectations.

She used to think that he wasn't all bad...that underneath all the arrogance, bravado and coldness was a caring and compassionate person.

She _used to_ think that.

...right before he threatened to set a girl on fire just because of blood differences.

Now, all she'd see in him was a hateful, bigoted coward. And it was the first time in a long time that she felt_ this_ angry towards someone. She no longer wanted to see his platinum blonde hair. His gray eyes. His stupid swagger. The permanent smug look on his face that made her want to smash his face in with a shovel. If he was done with her, then she was done with _him_.

Eva rolled on her side and felt something small and cold drop on her arm. It was the grayish stone hanging from her neck. Looking at it reminded her of the idiotic idea she planted in her own head.

She had thought that Draco could be her childhood friend. Each moment they had spent together made her think that more and more. The similarities were uncanny and she was just too happy thinking that she might have finally found her friend at long last.

But everything came crashing down yesterday.

The tears she was holding back came flowing out and she haphazardly wiped them away. Now, after everything that had happened, after everything that he had said and done, she _loathed_ the idea that Draco could be her childhood friend. She positively _loathed_ the idea that her cherished memories could be shared with that arrogant, vile Slytherin.

She didn't mind going back to square one in terms of finding her childhood friend.

...as long as that friend wasn't Draco.

She hugged her bear tightly. "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

><p>Eva took a deep breath before she entered her first class of the day. She figured her friends would already be in the room. That meant that Draco would probably be inside as well. She wished she could just get sick and stay in her room the whole day. But she was there already, in front of the doors to their Transfiguration classroom. There was no turning back.<p>

She reached out for the door, finally deciding to go inside, when a pale hand came out from behind her and suddenly slammed against it, almost giving her a heart attack. The pale hand looked eerily familiar.

"You're in my way, Bellator!" said an equally familiar voice that made her heart race. Eva quickly turned around and, sure enough, behind her was the boy she dreaded to see.

How bloody lucky was she?

Plastered on his face was the same scowl he donned the day before, the same one that reflected his anger, and the same one that triggered her own anger, as it did now. Behind him was Blaise and Theodore, both looking stunned and confused.

"Are you deaf or just plain stupid?" He spat, looking down at her with hatred. Anyone could have probably shriveled up in fear from the look he was now giving her. "Move!"

"Draco, what's gotten into you, mate?" Theodore laughed nervously, putting a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder. "This is _Eva_ you're talking to..."

"Yeah," Blaise chipped in. His dark brows were knitted together. "What's going on? It's not like you're talking to _Granger_ here..."

The two boys must not know what had happened between Draco and her. Not_ yet_ anyway. The two blondes' behavior was a dead give away that things between them weren't going as smoothly as before.

Draco roughly shrugged Theodore's hand off his shoulder and withdrew his own from the door. "As far as I'm concerned," he snarled. "She's no different from that _filthy_ little Mudblood." He then made his way into the room, gruffly bumping against Eva's shoulder without so much as a backward glance.

Theodore and Blaise were flabbergasted while Eva calmed herself down, stopping herself from sending every jinx she knew down her fellow blonde's way. He could be an arsehole to her for all she cared, but she wasn't about to stoop to his level.

"E-Eva," Theodore stammered. "Did something_ happen_ between you guys? Draco used to be so _nice_ to you..."

"And Draco's _rarely_ nice to girls." Blaise added thoughtfully as he stared after his blonde best mate.

"Did you guys fight or something?"

Eva wondered why Draco hadn't mentioned the fight to them. They were his best mates after all. Even though he was totally in the wrong, his best mates would probably still support him out of loyalty, and he'd therefore have reinforcements. So why hadn't he told them?

She shrugged, wearing a mask of indifference. "We'd better get in before Professor McGonagall marks us late."

* * *

><p>Soon enough, the news of their little fight before Transfiguration spread to the rest of their friends. Theodore wasn't much of a secret keeper in the first place. He had told Tracey (in the hopes that the fellow Chaser knew what was going on) while Millicent listened in. Millicent then reported back to Daphne and Pansy...and so on.<p>

It also didn't help that she and Draco often shot glares at each other and effectively stopped talking to the other, catching the attention of those who knew them well enough.

Even students from other Houses seemed to notice their sudden change in behavior.

"Looks like Malfoy and his clone are having a little lover's quarrel, aren't they?" Ron whispered to his friends while they took down notes from Professor Snape's lecture. "Just look at 'em. Malfoy's shooting her the same glares he shoots at us!"

Harry stopped taking down notes and looked over to the Slytherins. "Hmm...yeah, you're right. Wonder what happened."

"Probably got sick of each other's _rotten_ attitudes." Ron chuckled, getting the unwanted attention of their Potions teacher and receiving a smack to the back of his head.

Hermione looked thoughtfully at both blondes but said nothing.

By lunch, Eva's roommates were rounding up on her.

"Eva! What's going on with you and Draco?" Millicent asked before shoveling some kidney pie into her mouth.

Daphne gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin before joining in. "What exactly did you fight about anyway?"

Tracey watched her friend silently eat her lunch. "Is that why you've been down all this time?"

"Come now, what is this? Twenty questions?" Pansy piped in. She was_ clearly_ in a better mood. "Let the poor girl eat her lunch! She missed breakfast after all. She must be starving!"

When she heard that Eva and Draco had gotten into a fight, Pansy was ecstatic to say the least. Their fighting meant that the two would no longer be spending so much time together. It also meant less competition for her precious Drakie's attention. She had immediately gone back to "friend mode" with Eva.

Tracey was of course well aware of the reason for Pansy's cheerfulness and was far from pleased with the girl's attitude. "Well, aren't we _cheerful_ today?" She scowled. "Celebrating the fact that you've got Draco all to yourself now, huh?"

Pansy held her chin up and went back to her food. Her _seemingly_ innocent grin was still firmly in place. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Davis."

This made Tracey roll her eyes. She then turned back to the blonde. "You okay though, Eva? You know you can always talk to me about problems."

Eva smiled slightly. She was thankful she had a friend like Tracey but she didn't think it would do anyone any good to divulge details about the fight. "Thanks, Tracey. I just...don't feel like talking about it."

The dark-haired girl sighed. "Alright, I can respect that. We're going to have to find you a new coach though."

"Yeah, about that," Eva replied, looking up at her friend. "I was actually hoping _you_ could coach me."

"Aww...I'm sorry Eva," Tracey groaned. "I wish I could! But I can't!"

"Why, what's up?"

Millicent chortled. "She can't 'cause she's got _dates_ with Filch!"

Eva almost choked on her lunch upon hearing the joke. She coughed violently while Tracey patted her back. "Don't go saying disgusting things like that, Millicent! Look what you did!"

"That's just sick, Bulstrode." Daphne and Pansy grimaced as well while the larger girl continued to laugh.

Once Eva was able to recover herself, she immediately took hold of the Chaser. "_You?_ You've got _detention_? B-But... You're... That's..." She was bewildered...heck, astonished that Tracey, her nice, friendly, reliable and responsible _Tracey_ was capable of mischief and getting herself into trouble.

It was the said girl's turn to chuckle. "Your idea of me being a goody-goody is heartwarming, Eva."

"Seriously?" Pansy smirked. "There's a reason why we all got sorted into _Slytherin_, you know."

"Yeah," Millicent agreed, still chuckling. "Just look at Pansy. She's a scheming, conniving, two-faced little shrew!"

"I beg your pardon!" Pansy honestly looked offended and shot Millicent the darkest look she could manage. "As opposed to a violent _brute_ like you who solves everything with her fists?"

"Children," Daphne scoffed, using a motherly sort of tone. "Don't fight."

"Oh don't worry, Daphne," Pansy sneered. "We haven't forgotten about you!"

Pansy and Millicent then took turns describing their roommate.

"Mean."  
>"Condescending."<br>"Snobby."  
>"All high and mighty."<br>"...Mean."  
>"You already said that, Millicent."<br>"I'm running out of words."  
>"Egotistical."<br>"Oh! Good one, Pansy!"

Daphne glared at them. "I think Eva gets it."

Eva and Tracey chuckled as they watched the comical fight among the three girls.

"Well, what about you, Tracey?" The blonde asked, still not seeing how her friend could be a Slytherin. She completely understood how the other three got sorted into their House, but she always thought Tracey was more of a Gryffindor.

"Tracey here's a rule-breaker," Millicent volunteered. "Always going off somewhere at weird hours of the night. I betcha anything she's got detention AGAIN 'cause she got caught sneaking around AGAIN after curfew!"

Eva looked at Tracey incredulously. "I was _wondering_ why you come back late sometimes. What are you doing sneaking around at night?"

"Whaaat?" Tracey wore a guilty look on her face. "I spend my time practicing for Quidditch. I want to be in my best shape for the matches!" She then popped a piece of vegetable into her mouth. "This year, we're definitely beating Gryffindor!"

Eva shook her head and smiled. Of course. This was _Tracey_ they were talking about. It _had_ to be Quidditch-related.

Then Daphne leaned in with a sly smile on her face. "What_ I_ don't get," she started as she looked at their blonde roommate. "Is how _Eva_ got into Slytherin."

"Well, she's... You know... She's... Well... Uhhh..." Millicent stammered, unable to come up with a reason.

An awkward silence settled among them as each one (including Eva) tried to think of a reason.

Pansy frowned. "Now that I think about it, you're right, Daphne." She then turned to Eva. "How the bloody hell did you get into Slytherin anyway?"

"Yeah, you're kinda weak and quiet and..._nice_." Millicent grimaced upon saying the last word.

The blonde realized she herself didn't really know what Slytherin attributes she possessed. The Sorting Hat had told her that she was 'cunning' but that was it. It had told her she was 'brave', too, but that was more of a Gryffindor thing, wasn't it?

"I'm not sure, really," she answered honestly. "I just remember deciding to go to Slytherin and the Hat sorted me there."

"That's it?" Millicent asked unenthusiastically. "How boring."

"Anyway!" Tracey butted in, thumping the table for effect. "I think we've trailed off too far already. We're like a bunch of kids with short attention span." She chuckled. "So! A new flying coach is what you need, right?"

Eva responded with a "mhm".

"Well, how about Theodore? He's a Chaser, too, remember?"

"What?" Pansy snorted. "That git, Nott? Sounds like you're trying to get Eva killed!"

Tracey sighed. "If you stopped ogling at Draco for even just a second during the Quidditch matches, you'd see that Theodore's actually pretty good."

"Theodore, huh?" Eva mused. Theodore was actually a pleasant substitute. He was friendly, warm and nice. Not at all like the _arsehole_ that she had recently gotten into a fight with.

She couldn't help remembering her flying lessons with Draco though. Admittedly, she had had a good time with him and the blonde had helped her significantly with her flying, but now everything was different.

Things were _so_ different now, she couldn't help wondering whether she could have _avoided_ the nasty fight with Draco. Maybe she could have used a different approach. Maybe...Maybe she didn't have to go and be a hero. She was sure they'd still be friends if she only kept her wand in her bag.

She suddenly felt doubtful...unsure about what she did.

She sipped her pumpkin juice and watched the other girls debate about Theodore's flying abilities while, in her head, she debated with herself regarding her actions yesterday.

But what she did was right...

...wasn't it?

* * *

><p>Defence Against the Dark Arts was Eva's favorite subject but she just couldn't bring herself to cheer up in class. It was so easy to forget about her fight with Draco during lunch since she had her friends around to distract her.<p>

It wasn't as easy during the class.

"Miss Bellator?"

Tracey, her usual seatmate, was excused from her D.A.D.A. class due to her detention. Pansy, on the other hand, was busy flirting with the blonde devil himself. Theodore and Blaise were with them while Daphne and Millicent were seated elsewhere.

She was feeling lonely and was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't really recite in class that day. All she did was stare out the window and doodle on her notes.

"Miss Bellator?"

She also had the annoying feeling that Draco, who was seated a couple of chairs behind her, was burning a hole through her head with his glares.

"Miss Bellator!"

Eva snapped out of her thoughts. She blushed when she saw that the professor and the whole class were all looking at her. Professor Lupin had been calling her attention thrice now.

"Sir?" She asked sheepishly. Some students snickered.

The professor only smiled. "I was asking whether you might know where in the world Red Caps are usually found."

"Oh...um...they are usually found in Europe," she managed. "Northern Europe to be exact."

"Correct." The professor then turned to other students. "Now who can tell me what specific kind of site they frequent?"

Eva let out a sigh of relief. To be caught spacing out by the teacher she had a crush on was bloody embarrassing and, for once, she couldn't wait for the class to end.

Soon enough, Professor Lupin gave out the assignment and dismissed the class. The other students immediately rushed out of their last class with glee, leaving Eva as the last student in the room. Even her roommates had left without her.

She was stuffing her books and notes into her bag when Professor Lupin approached her table. She looked up to see him smiling warmly down at her, sending a mad blush to both of her cheeks and bringing back at full force the giddy schoolgirl crush she had on him.

"Shouldn't you be out gallivanting with the rest of your peers, Miss Bellator?" Professor Lupin asked with a chuckle.

Eva was still too dumbfounded and flustered that all she could reply was a lame, "S-Sir?"

"You seem rather distracted today." He continued. "You and Miss Granger usually have your hands up for every question. But today, it's just been Miss Granger."

The professor then pulled a chair beside her and sat down. He chuckled again. "Students are going to start thinking she's my favorite."

Eva blushed even more now that the professor she had been admiring from afar was right beside her. It was the first time she saw him up-close, really. She noticed that his hair was a light brown color, but it had a couple of gray streaks. He was quite young but he had premature lines on his pale face.

She wondered whether their cheerful and warm professor was going through some tough times, causing the lines on his face that made him look older than he actually was. She also wondered what had caused the deep scars on it. Did he have a close encounter with one of the creatures they had discussed in class? Or, judging by the deep gashes, perhaps with something _more_ dangerous?

Realizing that she'd been staring for more than what was deemed appropriate, she quickly replied, "Sorry, Professor. I'll do better next time."

"Oh, it's quite alright." He said kindly, dismissing it with his hand. "It just made me think that perhaps something is troubling one of my star pupils."

Eva felt a surge of pride upon being called a star pupil by her favorite teacher. She wasn't usually one to go looking for praise or attention from her teachers, but that was definitely something she could get used to with him. She wondered if it was alright to be talking to a teacher about problems. Professor Lupin seemed nice enough though.

"Well, Sir...I've just had a...a _falling out_ with a friend."

"Ah, I see." He replied thoughtfully. "But I'm sure it's nothing that can't be fixed."

Eva fiddled with her bag. "I'm not so sure about that, Sir. Things are a bit complicated between us."

"Complicated to the point where apologies are rendered useless?"

Hesitatingly, she then proceeded to give a brief summary of what had happened the day before, careful to leave out names or details that would lead the professor to the identities of the characters in the story.

When she had finished, the professor looked thoughtful.

"I was so certain before that what I did was right," she confessed. "But now that I see the consequences of my actions, I'm not so sure, Sir. I can't help but think that maybe I shouldn't have interfered..."

The man flashed another warm smile at her as he seemed to recall something. He looked rather nostalgic from what Eva could tell. "Let me share with you the story of a certain Gryffindor boy I knew."

He put his hands together and leaned forward, resting his weight against his knees. "Now as I'm sure you know, Gryffindors are known for their bravery–"

Eva nodded.

"–and their, well, _occasional_ disregard for certain rules."

To this, the blonde chuckled.

Professor Lupin laughed slightly. "Well, this boy and his friends were quite the lot for mischief. Always getting into trouble. Escaping detentions. Roaming about the castle at ungodly hours."

He then sighed. "But, there were times when they went a little too far. This boy's friends took to bullying a certain Slytherin boy who was rather broody and into the dark arts. They took to hexing him every now and then...even hexing him upside down in midair."

"That's horrible!"

"Now his friends weren't _all_ bad. It was childish foolishness, I suppose. Still though, it wasn't _right. _This Gryffindor boy was always a witness to their bullying and he honestly felt bad for the Slytherin."

"But did he do something to stop his friends?"

Professor Lupin paused as a sad expression crossed his face. "No. And he continues to regret it to this day."

Eva remained quiet as she waited for the professor to continue. It was the first time she saw him looking so down.

He sighed once more. "Although his friends did the bullying, he was just as much in the wrong when he chose to turn a blind eye. He may have been a Gryffindor but that was definitely not a show of bravery. "

Then, regaining his smile, he added, "It just goes to show that bravery isn't exclusive to any House. You did the right thing, Miss Bellator. _That_ you can be sure of."

The blonde absorbed everything in silence. Any other doubts she felt about what she did were completely wiped from her mind. She was so thankful she chose to confide in the teacher.

Eva wanted so much to hug him (if only it weren't so inappropriate). Not because of a silly schoolgirl crush, but out of admiration and gratefulness. During their talk, her schoolgirl crush was slowly replaced by something better: a deep respect for him. Even for just a moment, she felt that he was like a mentor. A father figure, even.

It was then that she knew Professor Remus Lupin would forever be her favorite teacher.

She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Professor."

He returned her smile with one of his own before reaching into the inner pocket of his robes and pulling out a block of something with silver wrappings.

"Here, have some chocolate."

* * *

><p>Eva walked out of the D.A.D.A. room feeling far better than when she had entered it. Her little talk with the professor had brought back confidence in herself and the spring in her step.<p>

Happily, she stuffed the remainder of the chocolate he had given her in her bag.

She was about to go off to the other direction, when she saw something from the corner of her eye. Leaning her back against the wall, waiting right outside the D.A.D.A. classroom was Hermione Granger. The girl looked up upon seeing her walk out of the room.

Eva was surprised to see her there. Nevertheless, she gave a curt nod before turning to go.

"Wait!" Hermione called out, effectively stopping Eva in her tracks.

The blonde turned around and stood in place, once again surprised. This girl that was once shooting her glares was actually talking to her. What could she possibly want with her?

"I-I just wanted to talk to you." Hermione walked up to her. "I won't take up much of your time, don't worry."

Eva stared silently at the girl fidgeting in front of her before nodding.

"Yesterday...What you did...I mean..." The Gryffindor stammered. Realizing that she probably looked and sounded like an idiot, she calmed herself, breathed out deeply, looked Eva squarely in the eye and said, "The thing is...I realized that I left without so much as a word yesterday..."

Eva recalled the events that had taken place the day before. When Draco had left, there was no exchange of words, really. Hermione just stared at her in disbelief. After snapping out of the trance, the girl gathered her things and walked in the direction of the library while Eva walked back to her room and crashed on her bed.

"Honestly, I was and actually _still_ am surprised by what you did..."

"And with good reason, I suppose." Eva muttered, looking away from the girl.

Hermione looked at her quizzically before starting again. "But it is undeniable that...What you did was...What I mean to say is..." Then, giving up on the little speech she had mentally prepared earlier on, she sighed and smiled slightly.

"Thank you."

The blonde's eyes widened. It was Eva's turn to look at her in disbelief. Was she hearing right?

"Look, I know you and Malfoy got along pretty well before and, because of that, I honestly thought you were just like him. Just like most Slytherins I know." She explained without breaking eye contact.

"But I guess I was wrong. For you to go and choose to help _me_, a _Gryffindor_, rather than to stick by your fellow Slytherin...well that says something."

Her smile grew. "So thank you. Thank you, Eva."

Eva felt her heart warm up. This definitely proved that, for once, she did the right thing. It proved that she gained far more than what she had lost. That she made the right decision. That she had no reason to regret or be ashamed of what she did.

She smiled back. "You're welcome, Hermione."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Phew! That was a long one, wasn't it? Sorry! XD I had to squeeze in _a lot_ for this chapter. I hope it didn't bore you to death! HAHA!**

**Unfortunately, Draco and Eva are still at it. D:**

**I just love Remus. He's such a nice guy. :) And I'm sure you can guess who the people in his little story are. ;)**

**Oh, and not to worry, Harry and Ron will have more scenes in the following chapters...especially now that Hermione and Eva are on good terms. :)**

**Also, it looks like Theodore's going to be her new coach. Is it just me or do I smell another pairing coming up? Teehee. ;) Let me know what you think of _that_. **

****Thank you so much for your reviews! Please do keep them coming! I love reading your comments and suggestions. :)****


	12. A New Coach

**CHAPTER 12**  
><strong>"A New Coach"<strong>

Hovering in the center of the Quidditch pitch, Theodore watched with a mixture of amusement and wonder as Eva practiced tossing the Quaffle into the three goal posts while flying around in deliberate patterns, just as he had taught her to do.

The improvement in her flying was almost unbelievable. He had witnessed first-hand the horrendous flying skills she started out with. Now, she flew with ease and control.

He figured it must have been all thanks to Draco. Theodore still wondered how the two had gone from being friends to sworn enemies overnight.

Seeing that the sun was soon setting, Theodore called the blonde witch back and both flew to the stands to rest.

"Great work today, Eva!" Theodore praised, raising his hand for a high five which Eva cheerfully accepted.

Smiling gratefully, she replied, "Thanks again for agreeing to coach me."

"It's no trouble at all!" The boy smiled back, setting aside his broom and relaxing on a seat. "I mean, I _was_ kinda pushing you to tryout, right?"

Eva wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and took a seat beside the boy. She then chuckled upon seeing a group of girls staring at the two of them and giggling to each other at the stands opposite theirs. This particular group of girls had been following them around and had been diligently attending her practices with Theodore. "Are you sure your _fan club_ won't mind though?"

"Nah," Theodore chuckled back and waved his hand dismissively. "But I think you've had a bad influence on them. I've gotten numerous requests for flying lessons from girls I don't even know!"

"Oh, sorry about that." Eva apologized, trying in vain to stifle a laugh and clearly not meaning the apology.

The fact that the Theodore she knew had a fan club was still pretty amusing for her. He was good-looking...she'll give him that. But he was pretty silly and downright childish sometimes. She wondered what the girls saw in him that made them gush and giggle like a bunch of giddy little girls. Perhaps there was still a side to him that she had not yet caught a glimpse of.

"But seriously," the blonde continued. "Thanks for helping me out."

He gave her another smile before going silent. Eva used this time to rummage for something in her bag.

After a while, Theodore said timidly, "Hey Eva..."

"Hmm?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on her bag.

The boy fidgeted in his seat. "I was just wondering...whatever happened to you and Draco?"

Eva's hands momentarily stopped what they were doing, but she kept her eyes on her bag.

"He won't talk about it at all," Theodore continued. "And you guys seemed to get along pretty well, too! So I don't understand what could've happened to make you guys fight."

The blonde shrugged, pointedly avoiding the boy's eyes. "We got into a disagreement. That's all."

Still not satisfied, he asked, "What about?"

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, making the dark-haired boy realize he was being a little too nosy for his own good. He mentally beat himself up for his tactlessness.

"Sorry," Theodore scratched his head, chuckling in an effort to dispel the tension. "Bit nosy of me, eh? Blaise always tells me I meddle with other people's business too much. Just concerned about my friends."

With an encouraging smile, he added, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Eva looked at him and smiled in relief. Truth be told, she really didn't want to talk about it with anyone, and she was glad she didn't have to spell it out for him. "Thanks for understanding, Theodore."

He gave her a wink before reclining in his seat, happy that the tense atmosphere was gone.

The witch then went back to rummaging through her bag. She brought out her canteen and took a long drink from it. Afterwards, she offered it to Theodore. The boy looked at her, then at the canteen, then back at her.

And the blonde suddenly felt an all too familiar feeling go through her.

_"Déjà vu..."_ she thought.

The gesture brought to mind a certain blonde she had also offered the same canteen to after an afternoon of flying lessons. But that blonde had rejected it, smugly stating that he didn't _share_. The recall triggered her blood to start boiling again and she actually considered withdrawing the offer before she got another smug answer from a fellow Slytherin.

But then Theodore did the unexpected.

He flashed her a bright smile, accepted the canteen and took a long drink from it while Eva stared at him in surprise. When he had finished, Theodore handed the canteen back with yet another charming smile and thanked her properly.

When Eva continued to stare at him, he wore an adorable, clueless expression on his face and asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"

The blonde just shook her head and smiled.

Theodore was _definitely_ a pleasant substitute to her previous coach.

* * *

><p>"You guys should've seen Eva shooting with the Quaffle the other day," Theodore reported to his two best mates. "You wouldn't have thought she flew like a one-winged hippogriff just a couple of weeks before!"<p>

The three boys were lounging at their common room and sitting at their usual couch by the fireplace. While Theodore droned on about his coaching sessions with the blonde witch, Blaise flipped through his business journals but listened to his friend with amusement. Draco, on the other hand, was not at all pleased with their current topic. He concentrated hard on the book he was reading, making an effort to block out Theodore's voice.

"Tryouts are next week, aren't they?" Blaise asked, looking up from his journal and smirking.

"Yeah, but we're almost done with training." Theodore continued, "She's a pretty fast learner!"

Then, sneaking a look at their blonde friend, he added, "She's definitely flying a whole lot better now. But I can't take credit for that..."

Blaise also looked at Draco to see his reaction but the blonde just continued to read with a scowl on his pale face.

Theodore cleared his voice and continued in a more cheerful tone, "I can't wait for the tryouts! I'm sure she'll make a good Chaser! Maybe not as good as _Tracey_, but good nonetheless!"

Draco's patience easily wore thin. He slammed his book shut, startling the other two boys and a couple other Slytherins nearby.

"Don't you have anything_ else_ to talk about besides that annoying girl?" he seethed, close to shouting at his friend. "And how are you so bloody sure she'll even _make_ the team?"

The dark-haired Slytherin gulped. Now, he had done it. An angry Draco was a bloody scary Draco. All Theodore could do was shrug. "That was just my opinion, mate..." he said meekly.

The blonde glared at Theodore. "Let's not forget who the team captain is, _Nott_. The only _opinion_ that matters is _mine_!"

Draco then picked up his things and stalked off into their dormitories, leaving his friends behind.

"He didn't have to get all huffy with me," Theodore sulked, sinking into his seat like he wanted to disappear. "Didn't mean to make him so angry..."

Blaise put down his journal and smirked. "Don't take it to heart, _Dora_. He's probably just under a lot of stress right now from his folks."

Theodore sighed loudly and idly fiddled with some loose thread from the couch. "Yeah, I guess you're right..._except_ for the Dora part. Don't call me that!"

Dora was _one_ of the many colorful nicknames Blaise and Draco had come up with to tease their tall dark-haired friend whenever he was being such a "softie". Theodore greatly resented the flowery nicknames since he was keen on being seen as "cool", "manly" and "brawny" by one and all. Of course, only a handful of people (those closest to him) knew that he was, in fact, actually just one big _softie_.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky I've just got _Mother_ around," Blaise mused aloud as he watched the flames dance around in the fireplace. "And she doesn't even care as much about my marks now that she has her _boy toys_ to play with."

Blaise said it ever so casually but Theodore did not miss the sad (and terribly familiar) expression that crossed his friend's eyes. Theodore knew exactly how his friend felt. He was, after all, one parent short as well. And although his father wasn't gallivanting around with other women, he was _still_ up to shadier things. The dark-haired boy said nothing about it and continued to listen.

"Draco, on the other hand, has _two_ parents hounding him at all times." And with a mirthless laugh, Blaise added, "And it's bloody difficult to snag the top spot in class now that he has two rivals competing for the same thing."

"That Granger girl and Eva..." Theodore piped in.

The dark-skinned Slytherin scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe that's why he's gotten so cross with Eva. Maybe the pressure got to him."

Theodore sat up hastily. "That's hardly fair to Eva though," he exclaimed (a little too enthusiastically in Blaise's opinion). "I mean, the girl can't help it if she's just that bloody smart!"

"Calm down. It's just a theory, _Dory_," Blaise smirked at his riled up friend. "Aren't _you_ quick to come to her defense?"

Theodore briefly glanced at his friend who was now looking at him strangely.

"Well, she's a nice girl..." he argued weakly, picking at another thread on the couch and avoiding his friend's scrutinizing gaze. "And besides, she _is_ Draco's _twin_ after all, so it's no surprise she's smart like him."

"Sure..." Blaise wore a sly smile on his face and went back to reading his journal. He knew his friend was quite slow on some things. He just found it amusing. "Whatever you say, _Doria_."

* * *

><p>Theodore flew from one goal post to the other as a Keeper while Eva tried to shoot the Quaffle through one of the goals. Since the dark-haired boy stepped up his game to make it harder for the blonde to score during their practice, Eva was only able to score four goals out of nine tries.<p>

"Keep trying, Eva!" Theodore shouted, hovering steadily in front of the posts. "It's going to be a lot tougher during the tryouts so this'll be good training!"

Eva took a deep breath. She quickly swerved to the left and threw the Quaffle towards the leftmost goal post, but Theodore was able to block it in time.

The boy's fans who were watching yet again from the stands cheered for him while they heckled Eva.

Seeing the blonde looking exhausted and a little annoyed with the bystanders, he flashed her an encouraging smile. "Come on, Eva! You can do it!"

The witch wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead before making another try for a goal. She aimed for the rightmost goal post since Theodore was still hovering on the left side, but he was able to fly quickly to the post and block the Quaffle, too.

Once again, the fan girls applauded.

"Good try," he shouted. "But your moves are a little too predictable. Try shaking it up a bit!"

Eva nodded and clutched the Quaffle firmly, ignoring the jeering from the stands. This time, she flew in a zigzag pattern in an effort to confuse Theodore and threw the Quaffle towards the leftmost goal post. It worked and the Quaffle barely missed the boy's block, making this her fifth goal of the day.

The fan girls booed but Theodore gave her a thumbs up.

"Good job!" He cheered while Eva caught her breath. "One more goal and I promise we can call it a day."

The blonde nodded tiredly. They had been at it for hours now and her arms were sore from all the flying and throwing. She definitely needed to rest. Not to mention she was getting pretty peeved with the hecklers.

She narrowed her eyes and planned her next move. Theodore was now guarding the center post, making it harder to score from any of the three goals. She realized she needed to pull out a new move to effectively end the practice.

Eva quickly flew to the right and feigned a shot at the rightmost goal post. To her luck, the boy fell for it and quickly flew to the right, giving her the chance to score at the leftmost goal. She sped towards that goal while Theodore (having realized the trick) made a swift turn. But due to the bothersome pointing and screaming from his fans, he miscalculated his turn and unfortunately hit his head with a resounding bang on the nearest goal post. Meanwhile, Eva threw the Quaffle through the goal, winning the right to a well-deserved rest.

She was celebrating her victory when she saw the fan girls panicking and shouting, and then Theodore, hovering unsteadily as he clutched the side of his forehead. She immediately flew towards him.

"You okay, Theodore?" she asked worriedly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Just a little dizzy," he muttered, shaking his head vigorously. He was seeing Quaffles and Bludgers and Snitches dancing around his head. With a weak chuckle, he added, "Accidentally hit my head on a post."

"Oh no! We need to treat that bump."

Eva led them back to the stands with their bags and asked the boy to sit down. He chuckled again as the blonde witch rummaged frantically through her bag, muttering something about not being able to find anything in her mess.

"I'm fine," he said. His dizziness was slowly disappearing. "Don't worry about it."

"No, that'll bruise!" she exclaimed. "Hold on, I've got a first aid kit here somewhere!"

This time Theodore laughed out loud. "You've got a_ first aid kit_? In that small bag of yours?"

"What?" She smiled, still rummaging through said bag. "That's what _charms_ are for."

He eyed the bag that was no bigger than his head and laughed again.

Before Eva could bring out her kit though, the girls from the opposite stands came over in a hurry and fussed over the injured boy, touching his head, his arms, his legs...and really anything they could get their hands on.

"Theodore, are you okay?"  
>"Omygosh! Like, that must've hurt! Like, really bad!"<br>"Would you like me to kiss it all better?"  
>"That's not fair! <em>I<em> want to kiss it!"  
>"No! <em>I<em> want to kiss it!  
>"No! Me!"<br>"NO! ME!"

"GIRLS!" Eva shouted, effectively catching the group's attention. The girls shot her dark looks but they did not faze her.

"I don't think it's wise to crowd him at the moment," she said calmly in an effort to hide her annoyance. "So if you could be so _kind_ as to SHOVE OFF, we would _really_ appreciate it."

The girls shot her more death glares before stomping away, grumbling and muttering curses under their breath.

Theodore stared at her in amazement. "Wow...that was mighty_ brave_ of you," he said in awe. "Considering the fact that you just stood against some of the most _dangerous_ creatures in the magical world."

"What?_ Fan girls_?" Eva laughed, sitting beside the boy and opening her first aid kit.

"Well yeah," Theodore smiled, reclining in his seat as he recalled some pretty scary (yet comical) encounters with such girls. "These fan girls can be pretty dangerous you know! _Especially_ when they travel in packs!"

"I guess I should be lucky they didn't hex me then," she replied, humoring her dark-haired friend as she took a gel pack from the kit. With a flick of her wand, she cast _"Glacius"_on the pack and it immediately went ice cold.

Theodore watched her in awe as his smile grew. "Nah, even _they_ know they're absolutely no match for you."

Eva returned his smile. "That's awfully sweet of you, Theodore." She then pressed the pack against the side of his forehead without warning, making the boy wince. "But flattery won't save you from getting that bump treated."

He shuddered from the sudden cold and held the pack against his head. "Th-Thanks."

"I'm sorry about this though," she frowned, taking on a guilty expression on her face. "If I hadn't feigned that shot, you wouldn't have hit your head on the post..."

Theodore waved his hand dismissively. He didn't like to see his friend looking so worried and guilty. "No, no! Don't even think about it! I just got distracted by all the noise those girls were making."

He offered her another smile. "And besides, that was a great move! If you continue to play like that, the position of Chaser is yours!"

Eva looked into his dark eyes and smiled slightly. "If I continue to play like that, the other teams' Keepers would be spending quite a lot of time in the _infirmary_."

Theodore chuckled. "And that shiny Quidditch cup will be as good as ours!"

The blonde broke into laughter and the dark-haired boy smiled with ease.

The sound of her laughter, the way she threw her head back when she laughed heartily, the way her cheeks turned a rosy color when she was happy, the way she smiled...it was all so flowery and..._dainty_.

It was all so...so...

"It's a good thing that bump didn't injure your sense of humor," Eva smiled after calming herself down. "Now then, let's take a look at that bump of yours."

Theodore's pulse went crazy and his cheeks colored violently red. Eva was leaning dangerously _close_ to his _face_ while she gingerly lifted the cold pack he was now gripping onto for dear life. Her face was just _inches_ away and he noticed certain things about this blonde friend for the first time. She had such fair and unblemished skin, shining mercurial eyes, and soft pink lips...just a few inches from his own...

Should he lean in...

Should he lean in just a _teensy_ bit...they'd be...

...wait, WHAT?

What the bloody hell was going on? Why was he thinking about her _skin_ of all things? Her _eyes_? And Merlin forbid her _lips_? Why was his heart beating so loudly...as if he were playing in a Quidditch match against the Gryffindors? It was all so confusing, he felt his dizziness come back in full force.

And damn it all, to make things worse, he could smell _flowers_.

Sweet-smelling flowers.

They'd been training and sweating the whole afternoon, he was sure he was far from smelling like a flower by now. But Merlin, Eva smelled like a damn _rose_!

It was all so dainty!

It was all so bloody cute and...and girly! Yes, that's the word he was looking for.

_Girly_.

And a realization hit him with a force so strong he almost stood up and shouted, "Eureka!"

Eva wasn't just another Draco! She was not at all Draco's doppelganger, Draco's twin, Draco's clone, Draco's shadow, Draco's other self...not at all like he had always thought her to be.

No, no, no! She was different. Eva was something else.

Eva was a...

She was a...

A...

"You're a girl!" he gasped with a generous amount of astonishment in his voice.

The blonde looked at him like he had just lost it. "Yes...I'd like to think I am," she laughed. "You sure you're okay, Theodore? I think we should get that bump checked..."

Theodore stared at her in disbelief.

Why...

WHY THE BLOODY HELL DIDN'T HE NOTICE IT BEFORE?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Poor simple-minded Theodore. HAHAHA. :) He's cute like that.**

**I'm sooooo sorry for taking so long to update! This is the longest I've gone without updating. A LOT of stuff came up this week. I'm just so glad to be back! I've been itching to post this chapter for daaaays now. :}**

**Anyhoo... :) **

**In response to your reviews:**

**Things are starting to develop between Eva and Theodore! Teehee! Don't get me wrong though. I am definitely FOR Draco/Eva! :} But it's also fun to have a little love triangle going on, don't you think? Definitely makes things a bit more interesting. :)**

**I also honestly cannot wait for Draco and Eva to get all lovey-dovey! HAHA! XD Just _thinking_ about the future chapters oozing with romance I have in store for you guys makes me all giddy! :} But I wanna make sure I'm not rushing anything between these two beautiful characters. ****We're getting there, don't worry! :D**

**There will be plenty of Draco/Eva romance in the future chapters! :D ****I promise you guys, the wait will SO be worth it. ;)**

**Thank you so much for your reviews! I love reading every single thing you have to say about the chapters! :) **

**And I'd definitely love to read more! :} Thanks again!**


	13. Quidditch Tryouts

**CHAPTER 13  
>"Quidditch Tryouts"<strong>

Eva walked around the library, looking for a vacant table. She was hoping to finish her Charms essay as soon as possible since she had yet another flying session with Theodore that afternoon. With Quidditch tryouts coming up the next day, she needed all the practice she could get.

She looked to her right and saw a table of girls glaring at her. Eva recognized some of them as the fan girls she had shooed away during one of her practices with the dark-haired Slytherin. Walking on, she saw a table of Hufflepuff girls with an extra seat. Seeing that vacant seats were quite rare that day, she decided to ask to sit with them. But once she started to walk towards their table, the girls shared panicked looks with each other and one of them quickly placed a bag on the empty seat.

The blonde witch sighed and walked away in search for yet another empty seat. She was already used to people staring at her, rudely pointing at her and to people whispering and even gossiping about her. But she could never quite get used to getting such bad treatment from people she didn't even _know_ just because of her physical appearance, just because she looked like a certain notorious Slytherin boy.

...the same boy she used to come to this very library with. She looked to her left and saw that the table she and Draco usually had all to themselves (no one really wanted to sit with them when they were together) was occupied by a couple of Ravenclaws. She felt a little melancholic but quickly shook the feeling away. It wasn't going to do her any good anyway.

Eva was about to give up and head back to the Slytherin common room when she spotted three familiar faces seated at a table with an extra chair. The two boys seemed to be having a laugh at the book they were reading. They were whispering to each other and chuckling every now and then. The girl with them, however, was trying to concentrate on a pile of tomes and was constantly shushing them.

Seeing that there were no other vacant spots around, she figured she might as well try and slowly walked up to the trio's table. When she had reached it, the three looked up from their books and stared at her wide-eyed.

"Hi," Eva smiled slightly. "Would it be alright if I sit with you?"

Some other students nearby were also watching curiously and exchanging shocked looks. Draco Malfoy's twin actually talking to the Golden Trio must have been a strange sight indeed.

Apparently, Harry and Ron couldn't believe their eyes either. They openly gaped at her but Hermione was courteous enough to return Eva's smile. "Sure, Eva." She motioned for the blonde to sit down. "Go ahead."

Eva smiled brightly at her and gave a curt nod to the two boys before placing her books and parchment on the table and taking a seat beside Ron.

With her quill out, she was about to work on her essay when she noticed that the two boys were still shamelessly staring at her. She stared back at them. "Umm..." she started. "If you're not okay with me being here..."

"No, no!" Hermione quickly replied, waving her hands in front of her and stomping on the foot nearest hers (Harry's).

The bespectacled boy yelped and a pained expression settled on his face as he gripped the edge of the table. Meanwhile, Ron snapped out of the trance and asked Harry if he was okay.

Ignoring her friends, Hermione continued, "No, we don't mind," And shooting the boys threatening looks, "Now do we?"

The two boys quickly got the message and laughed uneasily.

"N-No, of course _not_..." Harry answered politely, scratching his head from embarrassment. "Why would we _mind_?"

But Ron kept quiet so Hermione threw him an even more threatening look that definitely got his attention.

"Y-Yeah, what they said. Why _would_ we mind?" the redhead asked, his eyes shifty and his gaze landing everywhere on the table except on the blonde. "I mean it's definitely _not_ 'cause you look like Malf-OW!"

It was Harry's turn to stomp on his friend's foot. Hermione just ran an exasperated hand through her face. Her best friends could be such twits sometimes.

"Blimey, Harry..." Ron muttered with his head bent low. "Didn't have to do it so hard!"

"Well, you shouldn't have said _that_." Harry muttered back.

"Said _what_?"

"That I look like Draco Malfoy." Eva butted in. The two boys stopped arguing and stared at her again in surprise. "Don't worry. You're not the first to tell me that." And with a little grin, she added, "And no, we're not related."

Hermione looked at the blonde apologetically. "Sorry about these two." The brunette then shot the boys another dark look that reminded them to keep their insensitivity in check. "They're not exactly the most _tactful_ people in the world."

The boys pinked from embarrassment, making Eva chuckle. "It's fine. At least they're not pointing at me like I'm some kind of three-headed hippogriff. And believe me, I get that _a lot_."

Harry and Ron continued to look like a pair of guilty little school boys.

"Sorry for being rude," Harry said coyly. "We're still kind of, well, getting used to the idea that you look so much like _Malfoy_, you belong to the same _House_ as him...and yet...you're not _at all_ like him."

Before Eva could say anything, a smile formed on his lips and he continued, "Hermione told us about what happened with Malfoy."

Ron crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. His face soured at the mere mention of the Slytherin boy's name. "Yeah, the rotten git..."

Eva's smile faltered as she remembered the fight she had with the blonde boy. Up until now, it still left a bitter taste in her mouth. They had not been talking for weeks now and he had been acting like she didn't exist at all. She wasn't supposed to care...she told herself she _wouldn't_ care. But now she was slowly coming to see that it was easier said than done.

"We really appreciate what you did for Hermione." Harry said, distracting the blonde from her thoughts. "It's not everyday we come across a Slytherin like you...no offense."

"None taken." The blonde's smile returned. "But there are Slytherins that really _aren't_ as nasty as some people think them to be." Her mind immediately went to her friends, Tracey and Theodore, two of the nicest people she had ever come to know.

"It's just a little hard to believe sometimes when your housemates keep stalking around, _scowling_ and _bullying_ everyone else." Harry scratched his head, messing up his dark hair even more. "That's kind of the reason why we thought you were, well, an unpleasant person..." He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry."

"But you proved us wrong," the brunette pointed out with a big smile on her face.

Eva smiled back. She was really starting to like this so-called Golden Trio. She wondered why her housemates loathed them so much.

Harry added, "We were completely mistaken about you."

"What do you mean '_we_'?" Ron piped in suddenly. "I always _knew_ she was different from Malfoy!"

* * *

><p>While Blaise and Draco were discussing the latest broomstick models, Theodore shoveled food into his mouth like a robot. Ever since his last flying lesson with a certain blonde, he'd been walking around like a zombie with this spaced out look on his face. He'd almost walked into doors and walls. He had walked into a bathroom once or twice and only noticed that it was a girls' bathroom when he couldn't find a urinal anywhere. It was an honest mistake actually, but the girls weren't really complaining.<p>

That's just how Theodore was when he was thinking deeply about something...or_ someone_.

He still couldn't get over the fact that Eva (who he once firmly believed was just another Draco) was a _girl_.

And a bloody cute one at that.

Was his cute girl radar getting rusty? He'd courted (and been courted by) tons of girls. He'd already had a lot of _valuable experience_ with the females. So why wasn't he able to see through the pretty smile, the rosy cheeks, the girly atmosphere that constantly surrounded her?

Theodore absentmindedly shoveled more food into his mouth, unaware that his best mates had stopped talking and had been staring at him.

Well, of course he always sort of knew she was a girl, a female. She wore a skirt and she had...well, girl parts. He just didn't know that she was a girl _girl_. He always had it in his head that there were just some girls who weren't _really_ girls. There were some that could easily pass for guys. In fact, there were even some girls who were more _masculine_ than some guys he knew. For instance, Tracey, Millicent and Pansy were all as good as male to him. They sure acted like guys anyway. Tracey was bloody good at Quidditch and Theodore didn't think a girl could ever be as good as her. Millicent was more violent and aggressive than most boys he knew. And Pansy was...well, _Pansy_.

But Eva? She wasn't really as masculine as the other girls. Now that he thought about it, she was as delicate as a flower. So Theodore figured it really was just her resemblance to his best mate that made him classify her as a fellow male...even though, to his utmost delight, she was definitely 100% _female_.

"Oi," Draco frowned, waving a hand in front of the boy's face. "Nott!"

Theodore's little thought bubble broke and his mind was thrown back into the Great Hall. "What? Huh? What's going on?" he asked, looking from one friend to the other.

"Your plate's empty you know," Blaise chuckled. "You've been shoveling empty spoons into your mouth for a while now."

The dark-haired boy looked down at his plate and, true enough, his plate was devoid of food. "Oh," he said flatly.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you today? You've been pretty quiet. And you're _never_ quiet!"

"And what happened to your forehead?" Blaise asked, pointing to the bruise on it.

"Nothing!" Theodore answered a little too quickly. His face immediately went red, making his friends even more suspicious. He was thrown into a flurry of pleasant flashbacks. He remembered the cold pack. The face that was ever so close to his. The sweet smell of flowers.

And a goofy smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Meanwhile, Blaise wore a cocky grin on his face. He had a couple of guesses as to why their tall friend was so _distracted_...all of which involved a blonde girl. It was tremendously amusing considering the fact that, in all the years he had known the boy, Theodore never really got this flustered when it came to a girl.

Draco, on the other hand, scowled and went back to his meal. He also had an inkling as to why their friend was acting sillier than usual and his guesses involved the same blonde girl.

And he was far from pleased.

He still found that blonde girl bloody annoying and he was still bloody pissed off from their fight. Every time he remembered their confrontation, he felt like punching a wall or setting something or someone on _FIRE_. Preferably the nearest Gryffindor he could get his hands on.

They hadn't been talking for weeks now. Draco made doubly sure he gave her the coldest shoulder he could ever give anyone and had long decided that her affairs (which she had frequently shared with him before the fight) were no longer a concern of his.

He constantly told himself he could not care _less_ about that blonde witch.

And yet...

For some strange reason, whenever he thought of Theodore having the flying lessons he and Eva used to have, Draco felt even more _irritated_ and _furious_ than usual.

As far as he was concerned, she could go have flying lessons with whomever the bloody hell she wanted to have them with! That was what he _believed_. That was what he kept _telling_ himself.

So why in the world would he get worked up every time Theodore blabbered on about his flying lessons with the blonde nuisance? What did it matter to him anyway?

She was still the same annoying, backstabbing, traitorous girl that did _not_ deserve to wear the Slytherin crest on her uniform. She was still the girl that had the bloody nerve to raise her wand at_ him_, a _Malfoy_.

She was the girl who deceived him into letting his guard down, into opening up even just a little bit...something he _rarely_ did with anyone...

...and then made him believe they actually had something in common...(what a fool he was!)...

...and _THEN_ betrayed him by taking the side of a Gryffindor! A bloody _Gryffindor_ for Merlin's sake! That was one hell of a low-blow!

He had vowed never to forgive her for that.

He should be glad to be rid of the burden of having to coach an infuriating girl like her, of having to spend afternoons talking about pathetic feelings and problems. He should be bloody relieved to be rid of her!

And yet...

Seeing the goofy smile Theodore had on his face, the far away look he had in his eyes and the spring in his step whenever he went to his practices with the blonde...

...made Draco want to set _HIM_ on fire.

* * *

><p>Eva plopped down on the stands breathing heavily and wiping sweat from her forehead with her handkerchief. She had just finished her last training session for the Quidditch tryouts. She felt exhausted but fulfilled.<p>

"Good hustle today, Eva!" Theodore exclaimed, crashing beside the blonde. "You're definitely ready for the tryouts now!"

The blonde smiled up at him. "That was some work out!" she chuckled as she continued to wipe her sweat away from her face. "Now I won't have to worry about making a fool out of myself tomorrow."

Eva was still talking about the tryouts the next day, but Theodore got too lost in his own world to hear anything besides the loud beating of his heart. He merely stared at her with a smile as he wiped his own sweat away. She seemed to be aglow from all the exercise. Her cheeks were so rosy and her skin had a nice sheen to it. Her short blonde hair was a bit messed up from all the flying they did...but it looked so much better than any fancy hairstyle other girls did with their hair. And the smile he was really starting to like was playing on her lips. He could sit there all day and just watch her talk.

All the while, Eva's little hand was dabbing her handkerchief upon her face. Theodore's eyes followed her hand move from her forehead to her cheek and, when it moved down onto her _neck_, his breath hitched in his throat. His heart thundered against his ribcage as he watched the blonde gingerly wipe away the beads of sweat from her slender neck.

He didn't think it was possible to be jealous of an inanimate object...but Merlin was _he_ bloody jealous of that bloody handkerchief!

"Theodore?"

His eyes snapped back to the girl's face. "Sorry," he blushed, forcing away the not-so-innocent thoughts already creeping their way into his head. "What was that?"

Eva looked at him quizzically before saying, "I was just wondering...would you happen to know how many students would be trying out tomorrow?"

He watched her fidget in her seat and play around with her fingers. He could tell she was nervous.

"I heard there are a lot of students trying out this year. But don't worry," He offered her a comforting smile. "You're going to do well tomorrow, I'm sure of it!"

The blonde smiled gratefully at him. Theodore had been a patient, kind and competent coach. She couldn't imagine getting even one Quaffle through a goal post without his help. Now, thanks to him, she actually felt like she had been playing Quidditch for years now (even though she had actually just discovered the sport recently).

"Thank you," she said sincerely, gently placing her hand on top of his, completely oblivious to the effect that simple gesture had on him. Her eyes looked gladly up at him and the boy felt his heart swell.

At that moment, he knew that taking up the task to coach Eva was probably one of the best decisions he had ever made.

* * *

><p>Finally, the day for the Quidditch tryouts came. Eva sat nervously at the stands with the other Slytherins who were also interested in joining their team. She figured being part of the team must have been a big thing at their school - the turnout for the tryouts was incredible and the blonde suddenly felt unsure about her being there. And Merlin were there a lot of boys! There was only a handful of girls among a sea of noisy, laughing, chest-bumping boys.<p>

It gave her some comfort to have Tracey and Theodore at either side of her on the stands, giving her the moral support she realized she badly needed at that time. Her facial expression appeared calm, but her fingers kept fidgeting with her uniform.

"Don't worry, Eva," Tracey said upon noticing her friend's anxiety. "One of our Beaters recently graduated so I'm pretty sure most of these guys will be fighting for that spot." She patted the blonde's back for good measure. "And I'm also sure that Theodore here did a good job training you."

"Yeah!" Theodore agreed enthusiastically. "I mean, just look at these gits. Some of them don't even look like they know how to get on a bloody broom." Then spying some rather large boys still stuffing themselves with food despite reminders to eat a couple of hours _before_ the tryouts, he chuckled, "And even if they figure out how to get on it, some of them look like they might just break their brooms!"

Tracey laughed as well. "You've got this, Eva."

The blonde witch nodded and slowly breathed out to calm her nerves. But once she looked back at the Quidditch pitch, her heart started racing again. There, making his way to the stands on his broom, was the team captain, Draco Malfoy.

The boy hovered in front of the stands with the other members of the team behind him. He immediately spotted Eva and glared. But instead of glaring back, the blonde witch only furrowed her brows. She really didn't need the extra stress now that tryouts were here.

_"So the pest decided to push through with it."_ Draco thought resentfully.

Breaking eye contact, he looked at the other two team members seated beside her.

"Oi! Davis! Nott!" Draco roared. "Get your bottoms _off_ the stands and _on_ your brooms!"

Eva looked from Tracey to Theodore. "What? You're going?" she asked, a little bit of panic in her voice now. She was just starting to calm down and now her two closest friends would have to leave her side.

"Sorry, Eva," Theodore scratched his head. "Team members have to be on the pitch to help with the tryouts..." But if he had a choice, he'd have stayed beside the blonde witch all day.

"But we'll be behind you 100%!" Tracey smiled, clutching both Eva's hands in her own.

"NOW!" Draco bellowed, irritation clearly etched on his fine features.

"Yeah, yeah!" Tracey shouted back rather bravely. She then quickly gave Eva a good luck hug, got on her broom and flew to the center of the pitch.

Theodore wanted to copy Tracey and give Eva a good luck hug, too, but he figured he'd be pushing his own luck. Instead, he squeezed her arm lightly and smiled at her. "Good luck!"

That seemed to the trick. Eva felt reassured and smiled back. Satisfied with his effort to comfort her, Theodore got on his broom and flew beside a very pissed off team captain. The blonde had witnessed the sickening display of friendship between the two and felt his blood pressure go up. He shot Eva another dark look, which was pointedly ignored by her, before explaining the procedures and officially starting the tryouts.

The tryouts for the team's newest Beater started first and, just as Tracey had said, almost all the students that turned up tried out for that spot. Eva watched in amusement as some Slytherins were whacked, bumped and bruised by the Bludgers. The team captain was constantly cursing and shaking his head in disappointment and she really couldn't blame him. Rather than _beating_ the Bludgers away like a Beater was meant to do, they were the ones _being beaten_ to a pulp. There were even a couple of boys that almost fell off their brooms. Eva thanked her lucky stars she didn't choose to tryout as a Beater. She really only chose to tryout as a Chaser because of her friends' suggestions. By the end of the Beater tryouts, only about a fourth of the initial student population at the stands was left.

The tryouts for the spot of Keeper came next. It was a little less exciting than the Beater tryouts but it still kept Eva at the edge of her seat. She watched the Keepers fly from one goal post to the other, employing different techniques, while Theodore and Tracey took turns shooting the Quaffle. It was the first time she really saw them in action and she was awestruck. They had such great teamwork and they flew with such skill. Those two definitely gave the Keepers a hard time. She also thought Theodore was a much better Keeper than all of the students trying out combined.

Then, the tryouts for the new team's Chaser finally came. She saw that there were only about five of them left now. This time, Draco hovered close to the stands to give some reminders.

"You need to score at least three out of six tries to even be _considered_ as a new team member," he brusquely explained. "So if you score less than three, don't even _bother_ checking the team roster next week for your name! The person who scores the most goals automatically gets the spot."

Theodore flew beside the captain. "Want me to go stand in as Keeper?" he asked.

Casting a look at the blonde witch, Draco smirked, "No, I've assigned _Bole_ to be the Keeper."

Upon hearing this, the remaining students whispered to each other and exchanged panicked and withered looks. Eva was the only one who still looked calm since she had no idea who that boy was.

"What's going on?" Eva asked her seatmate, a girl with long dark hair and a sullen look on her face.

"Don't you _know_ who Lucian Bole is?" the girl asked irritably, like it was a crime to be a Slytherin and not know who the boy was. "He's the team's current Beater. He's ruthless on the pitch...and bloody quick on his broom, too."

Eva watched as a buff Slytherin boy flew up and positioned himself at the goal posts. Lucian Bole had a large and square forehead. He was heavy-browed and had a sneer on his face that made Draco's look like a friendly little _smile_.

"_Bole?_" Theodore repeated, unpleasant shock written all over his face. "But this is just a tryout, Draco! Isn't that a little _brutal_?"

Having heard the news, Tracey flew beside them as well. "Theodore's right! Putting Bole in would make it hard to score even _once_!"

Draco scowled, "What are you two complaining about? That's to make sure we get a _quality_ Chaser." And throwing a meaningful look at Theodore, he added, "And to make sure the Keeper doesn't go _easy_ on any of the Chasers."

"But-" Theodore continued to protest but was quickly hushed by a dark look from his blonde best mate.

_"Now let's see if you still have the guts to try out, Bellator."_ Draco thought deviously.

And so, the tryouts commenced with the infamous Lucian Bole as Keeper. He held true to his reputation. The first person to tryout wasn't even able to score a single goal and he walked away looking dejected. The second person was only able to get one Quaffle through a goal post, and the third struggled but was able to score three goals.

Eva was the last in line and she was visibly losing color in her face as she waited for her turn. It almost looked impossible to get anything past that boy. Was all her training for naught?

The dark-haired girl she had talked to earlier on flew up for her turn. She was actually pretty good and was able to score three goals as well.

Then came the moment she had been waiting for.

"Next!" Draco shouted. He smirked as he watched Eva visibly gulp and stand up. She looked calm but she was paler than a damn vampire and he could clearly see her hands shaking as she gripped her broom.

"What's the matter, Bellator?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Forgot how to _fly_ again?"

Eva shot him a dirty look and slowly breathed in and out. Her heart was beating so hard that she thought it would burst out of its cage any minute. _"This is it...you've been training for this..."_ she thought to herself as she tried calming her frayed nerves. _"Don't mess up!"_

Draco crossed his arms without losing balance on his broom. "While we're still young, Bellator!"

She decided to do her best to ignore Draco's snide comments and focus on her tryouts. Eva hovered unsteadily on her broom but suddenly lost her balance and almost fell off right there and then.

Draco looked at her scornfully and snapped, "If you can't even manage to stay on your _broom_, then you can _forget_ about trying out!"

"Take it easy, mate!" Theodore shouted from his position, no longer able to stand his friend's taunting. "She's just nervous!"

"Well we can't have nervous wrecks on our team, now can we?" Draco answered back. "We don't need _burdens_!"

Eva knew Draco was damn well challenging her and, like before, she wasn't about to back down without a fight. Her goal was not to make a fool out of herself and not to put people's efforts to waste - Theodore's efforts and, she had to admit, even _Draco's_ efforts. She was still angry at the blonde and he was sure acting like an arsehole at the moment, but she couldn't deny the fact that he had taken great pains to coaching her and that he was the reason she could actually fly on a broom at all.

She took another deep breath and willed away the nervousness. In a few seconds, she was in position, holding the Quaffle in her hands, her game face securely on.

"Go Eva!" She could hear Tracey and Theodore cheering from behind.

"Well isn't _this_ interesting?" Bole smirked at the blonde witch before him. "Malfoy's twin coming to tryout, eh? I wonder if you actually share more than just looks."

Pointedly ignoring him, Eva quickly flew to right and made a shot at the rightmost goal post. Unfortunately, Bole was quicker. He easily blocked the Quaffle with his smirk still firmly in place.

"Well this is gonna be easy," the boy laughed, relaxing on his broom. "Go on, girly! Let's get this over with. I've got stuff to do."

The blonde witch ignored his condescending attitude. Little did he know, she was just warming up. Eva tried another move. She flew to the right, then to the left, then back to right, much like the zigzag pattern she had tried on Theodore, and threw the Quaffle fast at the leftmost goal post. It sailed right past Bole's hand and through the goal.

Theodore and Tracey cheered while Bole looked astonished. His smirk faltered. "Lucky shot."

Eva went back to position, steady and determined to prove the arrogant Keeper wrong. She tried another zigzag flying pattern with a couple additional loops and threw the Quaffle. Bole miscalculated her speed and target goal post and the Quaffle went flying by him a second time.

"Oi, Bole!" Draco shouted. "Stop messing around!"

This time, the smug look on the Keeper's face was completely gone and in its place was a scowl. He firmly held onto his broom and waited for the blonde witch's next move.

"One more, Eva," the witch said to herself. "One more and you'll at least tie with the other two."

She flew again and this time aimed for the rightmost goal post, but Bole had stepped up his game. He was able to read her movements and quickly blocked the Quaffle.

So now, Eva had used up four tries already and had scored only twice. She was starting to the feel the nervousness come back. She only had two tries left...and she needed to succeed in _both_ to automatically make the team.

"You can do it, Eva!" She heard Theodore shout.

"One more is all you really need!" Tracey shouted as well.

Draco only frowned and watched in silence. He noted that Eva's flying had improved even more. Once she got past the initial shakiness, she flew almost as well as Theodore. But now it was all up to her shooting skills. Theodore was a very skilled Chaser and if he taught her well enough, the girl might just make the team...not that he'd admit _that_ anytime soon.

Eva narrowed her eyes and zoomed towards Bole. The boy positioned himself at the centermost goal and waited for the throw. But then Eva quickly swerved to the left and made her shot at the leftmost goal, earning her third point.

Bole cursed and looked menacingly at Eva. "That's the _last_ goal you'll be making today, girly!"

"That's the last goal she _needs_, Bole!" Theodore chuckled. "Even if she doesn't get the last one through the goal post, she's tied with the others!"

The buff Slytherin just continued to glare at the unfazed blonde witch.

Theodore and Tracey were already celebrating but Eva wasn't done yet. She wasn't going to _settle_ for a tie. She was going to prove to that Bole guy and Draco that she was worthy of being on the team. She was going to secure her place in it and no amount of taunting or ridicule was going to stop her.

It all came down to the last shot.

Eva held onto the Quaffle firmly. She needed to do something new. Bole was already familiar with her moves and he could easily block her Quaffle should she decide to still use those moves. She racked her brain for an effective strategy but the fatigue was starting to get to her. Sweat was dripping down her forehead and her breathing was labored. The tryouts were even more exhausting than her whole afternoon practices with Theodore.

Suddenly, the same dark-haired boy came flying beside her saying, "Time out!"

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Nott?" Draco shouted angrily. "Get back to your place!"

Ignoring the orders from his team captain and the confused look on Eva's face, Theodore smiled. "You okay there, Eva?"

"Yeah," she breathed out, smiling slightly. "Just a little tired..."

"Relax, you've got this!" he said cheerfully. "You're already tied with the other two. Don't push yourself too hard."

Eva shook her head.

"But," she replied, looking straight into his eyes. "I don't want to settle for a tie. We've worked so hard for this..."

Theodore looked at her for a while and his smile grew. "In that case," he beamed. "I think it's time for you to bring out your _secret move_!"

"Oi! Sod off, Nott!" Bole shouted impatiently. "Let's get this over with!" But he was ignored as well.

Eva wore a confused look on her face and Theodore chuckled. "_You know_...the 'send-the-enemy's-keeper-to-the-infirmary' move!"

The blonde witch stared at him and, upon realizing what he meant, she chuckled. "That's an awfully long name for a sneaky little move."

"I thought long and hard on that name!" He chuckled again. And after winking, he flew back to his position.

With a new-found confidence, Eva looked back at the Keeper. This was it. The whole pitch was dead silent and a thick air of anticipation surrounded them.

Even Draco was watching intently. At first, he had thought that she wouldn't be able to score even _one_ goal. But bloody hell, she had scored thrice. _Thrice!_ And now she was aiming for another goal. Could she do it?

Eva gripped her broom. _"Here we go..."_

She zoomed towards Bole and quickly swerved to the left. She made a move to throw the Quaffle at the leftmost goal and Bole immediately flew to that direction. But to his surprise and dismay, the witch quickly withdrew, swerved to the right and threw the Quaffle with all her might towards the center goal post.

Everyone watched the Quaffle sail through the air as Bole made a swift turn back to the center. He was almost there...he knew he was going to make it! He reached his long arm out...and...

...and swiped at air!

The Quaffle successfully passed through the goal and shouts of joy was heard from the two team Chasers. Tracey and Theodore immediately flew to the blonde witch and congratulated her for being the newest member of the team.

"You did it, Eva!" Theodore shouted. "You bloody did it!" He was about to embrace the blonde but Tracey beat him to it.

"You were so great out there!" Tracey cheered, enthusiastically hugging her friend and causing them to almost fall from their brooms.

Bole stared at his hand in shock. He couldn't believe what had happened. He sat on his broom, eyes wide and jaw dropped.

Draco couldn't believe it either. He was surprised...and _impressed_.

Although she started off with the flying skills of a rock, although she only learned Quidditch that year, and although he put Bole in as the Keeper for the tryouts, she still managed to beat the odds and come out on top.

"_I guess the pest's got game after all,"_ he thought.

So now she was their team's newest Chaser. Practices for the Quidditch matches were _definitely_ going to be a lot more annoying now that she was part of their team. Not to mention it sure was going to be bloody difficult to ignore her now. And he was pretty keen on continuing ignoring her, too!

But it surprised him even more to find that, for some strange and unfathomable reason, he didn't quite resent her victory as much as he thought he _should_.

He should be really, really, _REALLY_ pissed, right? This was Eva Bellator! The pest. The bugger. The nuisance. The bloody traitor.

So how come he was just..._pissed_?

As captain of their Quidditch team, he realized he had to..._congratulate_ her. He grimaced at the thought. Damn civilities. Damn it all to hell. He'd be dead before he congratulated someone like her!

But then, he thought, even if she _was_ an an infuriating little blonde pest, she did _earn_ it.

He decided on gruffly giving her some reminders for Quidditch practices instead as his sneaky way of somehow acknowledging her. Draco was about to do just that when he looked up and saw the three stooges hovering on their brooms, celebrating and laughing and smiling.

"Thank you so much guys!" Eva smiled brightly at her friends. "Your support did me a world of good out there."

"I'm so excited now," the ponytailed Chaser gushed. "Now I actually have someone in our room to talk to about Quidditch!"

Eva laughed and shook her head at her friend's silliness. She then turned to Theodore. "And thank _you_, Theodore! For...for _everything_!"

But before the dark-haired boy could reply, Eva quickly threw her arms around him and gave him one of the tightest hugs she could muster up. She was just so happy and thankful for having such a supportive friend like him, she didn't care that she'd been sweating like crazy!

Theodore gaped. His face went redder than a tomato and his arms fell limply to his side. Apparently, he didn't care that they were _both_ sweaty either...and he felt like soft, squishy putty in her arms. He probably looked like a blushing idiot...but he didn't really care. Tracey raised an eyebrow and shot him a knowing look.

After a while, Eva let go and smiled at both her friends. Theodore tried to say something but found that he was at a loss for words. Even his ears and neck were a dark shade of red.

Now he _knew_ that taking up the task to coach Eva was _DEFINITELY_ one of the best decisions he had ever made.

Tracey shook her head and chuckled. "Come on," she smirked. "Better not keep the team captain waiting."

Theodore was still in shock so only the two girls looked around the pitch. They found that they were the only ones left. Even Bole had left.

"Hey...where'd Draco go?" Tracey asked, still looking around.

"Look! Over there." Eva replied. Tracey followed her line of sight and saw the blonde boy stomping away towards the castle with his broom clutched beside him.

"Tsk. You'd think he'd be courteous enough to congratulate a new member of his team." Tracey spat.

Eva watched him disappear into the castle. She had a sinking feeling that he wasn't too happy about the results of her tryouts. Was he doubly pissed at her now that she made the team? Did she just fuel his hatred for her by becoming the new Chaser, thus proving him wrong? Was it a mistake to tryout after all?

She sighed. This was yet _another_ bittersweet victory for one Eva Bellator.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh gosh. This is so late. Sorry. T_T I've got classes again (boooooo) and it's gotten really hectic around here. Sorry. D:**

**Anyway. I'm posting this really fast since I'll be leaving my home again in a while.**

**I hope you like this very long chapter. Haha. I figured I might as well post a long one since it took me a looong time to update. **

**How did you find Harry and Ron's official meeting with Eva? :) **

**Lucian Bole is NOT an original character btw. He really is actually a Beater for the Slytherin team in the books. :)**

**Theodore's so cute...yet again. Teehee! Oh but wait just a goshdarn minute! Is Draco actually starting to miss Eva? And vice versa? Why is he so bothered with Eva and Theodore's friendship? And what made him stomp off in a huff after the tryouts? Hmmm. ;) **

**(Actually, Draco's secretly hot for Theodore and Eva's getting in the way! HAHAHA. Just kidding! But that'd probably be a funny little twist, now wouldn't it?)**

**So what the bleep is up with Draco now?**

**Well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter. It's going to be a juicy and confrontational one, so stay tuned! ;)**

****Thanks again for the reviews! They are love! Please do keep spreading the love! :)****


	14. Confrontations at Hogsmeade

**CHAPTER 14  
>"Confrontations at Hogsmeade"<strong>

Theodore laid on his bed with both hands entwined at the back of his head and eyes glued to their room's ceiling. He'd been wearing a goofy smile on his face all day and he'd been walking around like he was floating on a cloud ever since the Quidditch tryouts. He'd been scolded a couple of times by professors for shamelessly daydreaming in class but not even Professor Snape could damper his good mood. He couldn't bring himself to focus in class (not that he ever really focused for more than a couple of minutes in class anyway) and he just couldn't seem to sit still.

Just thinking about the hug Eva so willingly gave him after the tryouts was enough to send him into this state of ecstasy. And there was one more thing that made him giddier than any of his fan girls.

Hogsmeade weekend was just around the corner...and he had a date with his favorite blonde witch!

...well, okay, it wasn't _really_ a date.

Their friends would be tagging along, too. But he was the one who had _first_ invited her (while Tracey came in close second) to go on her first ever trip to Hogsmeade. He thought it would be a good opportunity to celebrate her being their newest Chaser and he also promised he'd help her shop for her own Quidditch gear. Even if it wasn't an official date (and was really more like friends hanging out together), he'd still get the chance to spend time with her outside of school and he was damn well over the moon with joy.

While Theodore was smiling to himself and thinking up all sorts of fun things to do during their trip, his two roommates were busy with their own nightly routines. Blaise was folding his robes up while Draco was fixed on his Potions book.

Blaise looked over his shoulder and smirked when he saw their dark-haired friend smiling like a complete lunatic.

"Looks like someone's _still_ in a good mood." Blaise chuckled as he placed his robes in his dresser.

Theodore didn't answer but his smile widened. Having heard Blaise's comment, Draco's scowl, on the other hand, darkened and his brows were knitted closely together.

Theodore turned his head to Blaise's direction, his smile firmly plastered on his face. "Hey, do you know any good places to eat at Hogsmeade?"

Blaise laid down on his own bed and cracked open one of his journals. "Well there's the Three Broomsticks," he answered distractedly, leafing through the pages of his reading material. "There's Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, but that's really more like a place for _snogging_ rather than for eating."

"Oh...interesting..." Theodore replied thoughtfully before going back to staring at the ceiling.

Blaise was just starting to read some article about the broomstick industry when Theodore spoke again.

"How about sightseeing?" he asked, flipping over to his belly to look at his friend expectantly. "Know any good places?"

Blaise thought for a while. "Well the Shrieking Shack's always an interesting place to check out."

Then, he paused.

"Hey wait a minute!" The dark-skinned Slytherin looked up from his journal and cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "What am I? A Hogsmeade_ tour guide_? Why are you asking all these questions?"

"N-No reason!" Theodore replied defensively. When Blaise continued to look at him skeptically, he added, "Sheesh! Can't a guy ask a few innocent questions without being suspected of anything?" The wary look in his eyes and the blush on his cheeks, however, gave him away.

Another pause and a smirk. "Ohhh, I get it..." Blaise drawled. "This is about our Hogsmeade trip with your newest _blonde_ best friend, isn't it?"

Draco's ears perked up at this but he kept his eyes on his book. So what if they were talking about that annoying little witch? It sure didn't concern him...but it sure did break his concentration. He mentally cursed his annoying friends.

"D-Don't be a git, Blaise!" Theodore stammered and looked away in an effort to hide his now burning red cheeks. "I-I was just curious, that's all! I've only ever been to Spintwitches and Zonko's...you know that!"

It was a rule in Hogwarts that students were only allowed to go on the Hogsmeade trip once they reached their third year. But being friends with Draco and Blaise had its _perks_. During their second year, they often snuck off to the sports gear shop, Spintwitches, to buy top-of-the-line gear for Quidditch and to Zonko's Joke Shop for other less noble reasons.

Blaise shook his head in amusement. "Instead of worrying about the Hogsmeade trip, shouldn't you be doing your Herbology essay, _Dory_?"

The dark-haired Slytherin grimaced more at the nickname than at the thought of having to do his essay. "It's not due for a couple of days..." He paused to think of an equally embarrassing nickname for his friend and smiled haughtily. "Blaisey!"

But his friend just looked at him with pity, prompting Theodore to frown in defeat.

"That was just sad." And with a chuckle, Blaise added, "Good try though. But don't feel bad, _Dora_. It takes years to perfect the art of taunting and name-calling." He then tilted his head towards the blonde's direction before going back to his journal. "Just ask Draco here. He's a _master_ in those areas."

Draco pointedly ignored their comments and kept reading.

"Hey Draco..." Theodore called with a pensive look on his face.

The blonde grunted in response but kept his attention on his Potions book. He was just about to finish reading the chapter on Aconite which he actually found quite fascinating.

"Why'd you leave right after the tryouts?" the dark-haired Slytherin asked innocently. "You could've at least congratulated Eva."

Draco's brows furrowed even more. They were getting into a conversation about the blonde witch _again_? Merlin, that was all Theodore ever talked about nowadays! And quite frankly, it was really starting to piss him off to the point where he might actually consider setting his best friend on fire like he previously intended to.

"I had far better things to do. _Obviously_." Draco replied flatly.

Indeed, he had far better things to do than watch Eva and Theodore "chum it up" on the pitch. Just remembering how _friendly_ they were after the tryouts just pissed him off even more. What was up with that hug anyway? You'd think Theodore saved her life or something like that.

And to think he _actually_ considered acknowledging her victory! He would never bother to do anything like that again.

"But you know," Theodore meekly said, testing the metaphorical turbulent waters that was their blonde friend's temper. "She's as much a part of the team now as any of us. I think she deserves just a bit of recognition..."

"Oh yeah," Blaise chipped in, momentarily looking up from his journal again. "Eva made the team, huh? Good for her."

Theodore seemed to liven up at this. "She was amazing! You should've come to watch!" Then he pouted and rested his head on top of his folded arms. "You could've made the team, too, if you just tried out, you know."

Blaise also played a little Quidditch and was actually pretty good. Theodore was always pushing and pleading for him to join their team. He had thought up this fantasy in his head where he and his two best friends would be known as the unbeatable Silver Trio on the pitch. Why, he even went so far as to think up a catch phrase (and a _theme song_) for them. But Blaise's heart was more into his studies and his steadily growing little businesses. He was always more of a businessman than a jock. Theodore, who was always more of a jock than anything else, just couldn't understand him.

"Quidditch is fun every once in a while," Blaise admitted as he turned another page. "But sports aren't going to make me any richer."

"What are you talking about?" The distraught Slytherin asked. "You're already rich _enough_, Blaise!"

The dark-skinned boy just smirked. "There's no such thing as being rich enough, Theodore. Remember that."

Theodore sighed in resignation and went back to pestering his other best friend. "Anyway, I think Eva did a pretty good job. So I still think celebrations are in order."

"Look," Draco turned his head to Theodore and glared. He was already reaching the end of his patience. "She was just _barely_ able to score four goals out of six tries. That's hardly impressive if you ask me! If she had scored six goals, then that would be a whole different story."

Deep down though, Draco was actually impressed with his fellow blonde's efforts, especially after he put Lucian Bole in as Keeper. But that was something he'd be keeping to himself.

He turned his eyes back on his book and turned a page irritably before scoffing, "And besides, I think she got enough praise and congratulations from you and Davis. What are you anyway? A bunch of Chasers turned _cheerleaders_?"

Theodore sighed again. "I still don't get why you two fought but you know you can't keep being mean to her."

"Oh, I beg to differ, Nott." Draco laughed dryly. "It's actually pretty _easy_. You should give it a try sometime."

"Karma might just catch up with you, mate." The dark-haired Slytherin replied. "And besides, Eva's a really nice girl once you get to know her."

That last statement from Theodore triggered Draco's blood to reach its boiling point. The page of his book was starting to crease from all the pressure he was exerting on it out of irritation. It took a lot of his self-control not to chuck his incredibly heavy book at the dark-haired boy.

"What makes you so sure I don't _already_ know what she's like?" he snapped, looking back menacingly at Theodore. "Oh, I know her well enough! Well enough to say that she's not worth anyone's time!"

Theodore frowned and rolled over on his back. "I beg to differ..." he muttered and went back to staring at the ceiling again. Seeing that their tall friend had finally shut up, Draco went back to finishing the chapter he was reading. After a few minutes of silence and reflection though, Theodore's smile was back in place.

"Hey Blaise," he said, cheer once again present in his voice. "Know any good places where girls like to shop?"

Blaise closed his journal with a loud thud. "What?" A very scandalized expression was plastered all over his face. "How would _I_ know? Do I look like a _girl_ to you?"

Draco let out a huff of frustration. "No," he butted in. "But the two of you might as _well_ be girls! You two bloody talk too much!" He grabbed his book and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

It was just darn near impossible to get any studying done in their room. Maybe in the common room he could find the silence he needed to read his book, to do his homework, and to do anything that would distract him from replaying in his mind certain unpleasant memories of a certain fellow blonde.

* * *

><p>Eva looked around in wonder. Hogsmeade Village was littered with cottages and shops selling everything and anything. The crisp autumn air surrounded her and her friends as they walked along streets of shops, vendors and students. The little village was bustling with life and it reminded her so much of the villages with the equally thatched shops and cottages she used to visit in Italy.<p>

She felt simply invigorated!

It was just wonderful to get away from school, from studies...even from Quidditch. A smile was planted firmly on her face and her eyes were glistening with excitement. This of course did not go unnoticed by the dark-haired boy that had been flanking her side since they stepped out of the castle.

"What do you want to do first, Eva?" Theodore enthusiastically asked the witch, his eyes never straying from her face.

His extreme friendliness towards Eva elicited raised eyebrows from the girl's roommates who were walking right behind them. They especially found it curious that Theodore, who was always with Blaise and Draco, was hanging around with them even though his two best friends were seemingly nowhere to be found.

Unaware of the attention she and Theodore were getting from her group of friends, Eva chuckled, "I honestly don't know!" She looked at the little stands outside the shops. There were some that sold jewelry, accessories and little trinkets. Being the girl that she was, Eva's attention was immediately caught by such. "I want to see everything!" she added gleefully. "If that's even possible, I mean."

"Oh, it's_ possible_ alright," Pansy scoffed, looking around uninterested like she'd been there countless times. "Hogsmeade's not much."

Daphne, too, looked at the accessories on a nearby stand and, seeing that they were unfit for her taste, she frowned. "It's no London, that's for sure."

Millicent grumpily followed close behind as she dragged her feet. "Let's go to Honeydukes already!" she whined. "I want chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes! Treacle fudge and pixie puffs!"

"Can't that wait, Millicent?" Tracey asked, latching herself onto one of Eva's arms. "Don't you want to go on a tour with us? It's going to be fun!"

The chubby Slytherin was too lost in her sugary thoughts to reply. She had a glazed look in her eyes for a moment as she remembered all of her favorite sweets and almost drooled right then and there. After Tracey snapped her fingers in front of Millicent's face to break the sugary trance, she continued to whine, "Honeydukes! Honeydukes! Come ooon!"

She constantly tugged at Daphne's arm as well to complete the spoiled little girl act she was so used to putting on, making her friends sigh in exasperation.

"Fine!" Daphne rolled her eyes and kept her arm away from Millicent's reach. "It's as if you're _asking_ for cavities. Aren't you a little too old for candy?"

Millicent, however, had a triumphant look on her face. "What are you talking about? No one's ever too old for candy! You should try eating some sweets, too, Daphne!" And with a snort, she added, "So you won't be so _bitter_ all the time!"

Daphne shot her a dark look while the others chuckled.

"She does have a point, you know." Pansy teased.

The offended witch shot Pansy a dark look as well. "Oh, shut it."

Millicent, on the other hand, gaily pointed in her favorite shop's direction. "To Honeydukes!"

"Well since Bulstrode here won't _shut up_ about her sweets," Pansy sneered. "We'll be going ahead to Honeydukes." She looked around the street again and frowned in disappointment. "It's not like we have anywhere else we want to go to here anyway. The Three Broomsticks later then?"

Theodore chuckled as he watched Daphne being dragged away by an overly excited Millicent. "Yeah, we're meeting up with Draco and Blaise there, too," he replied.

Pansy's previously dulled eyes immediately flashed with eagerness at the sound of the blonde boy's name. "Where _is_ Drakie anyway?"

"They're probably at Spintwitches right now, checking out some Quidditch gear."

The short-haired girl scowled. "Oh."

Her trip wasn't as fun as she had hoped it to be. If there was one place she'd want to go to in Hogsmeade, it would be Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. Nevermind that the place looked tacky and that its pink decorations made her want to puke. It was the best place in the village for dates, and really all she wanted to do that day was have a date with her favorite blonde wizard.

Unfortunately, there was always something or someone standing in her way. Before, it was Eva ruining her chances for romance with the Slytherin King, with her "terrible flying skills" and "need to be coached". To that day, Pansy still thought it was all just a sham to get closer to Draco. They _did_ get closer to each other and she was actually starting to worry that there might have been something going on between them...that is, until the two blondes fought.

Pansy chanced a look at the blonde witch. She and Tracey were lost in their own little world, studying some garish and tasteless trinkets at some stand like a couple of silly commoners. She smirked. How could she even think that Eva could actually be _competition_? But even with Eva out of the picture, there was still a much bigger enemy standing in her way to "Draco Domination" and its name was Quidditch.

With a defeated sigh, Pansy went off to Honeydukes with Daphne and Millicent.

Theodore, remembering his little agenda for the day, then walked to Tracey and Eva who were in the process of haggling. "Now then ladies," he grinned. "Time for that tour!"

The three Chasers enjoyed looking around the different shops in Hogsmeade. They stopped at Gladrags Wizardwear and browsed through the shop's bright and loud socks. They even found some pairs of socks that were charmed to scream whenever they badly needed to be washed. Out of amusement, they each bought a pair of socks from that shop. Theodore secretly bought an extra pair though - the kind that screamed. He needed something to remind him of his socks since he had the tendency to forget to put his dirty ones in the laundry. Only after he'd run out of clean socks would he remember them. Unfortunately, his dirty socks would by then be too _moldy_ and far too _disgusting_ to ever wear again...but the two girls didn't really need to know that. They also bought real quills at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and bought edible ones (Sugar Quills) at Zonko's Joke Shop.

Soon, they arrived at Spintwitches where Theodore planned on carrying out his promise to help with Eva's Quidditch gear. The three entered the shop and were in the middle of a discussion on the best material for Quidditch gloves when they spotted two familiar housemates trying out some arm pads in one corner of the shop.

Blaise looked up from the merchandise and saw them. "Oi! Theodore!" he called, waving to his friend. "Where've you been? You're late!"

"Sorry, mates!" Theodore chuckled and walked towards his best friends. "Been going around Hogsmeade with the girls."

"Hmmm...is that so?" Blaise shot him a cocky grin that made Theodore pink a little.

Draco returned the arm pads back on the shelf and looked up as well but immediately scowled when his eyes landed on his fellow blonde. Of course, Eva did not miss the unfriendly look she was greeted with.

Draco quickly looked back at Theodore and glared. "I told you to come here _early_," he said sharply. "Not to come here bringing a _pest_!"

Eva was tempted to say something equally offensive back but she decided it was probably better to stay silent. After the tryouts and after she secured her place in the Slytherin team, she'd been fearing that Draco's treatment towards her would become even colder or even nastier, but the days flew by and he just continued to ignore her like the usual.

She actually wondered at the time whether it was a good thing that things between them were still the same, still as unpleasant as ever. Not a degree less and not a degree more. But now that she witnessed this delayed reaction...this delayed fury, she realized she'd definitely much rather be ignored.

Tracey, however, wasn't about to take the trash-talking sitting down.

"Hey! Take it easy, Captain," Tracey replied sternly, looking him straight in the eyes. "Unlike _you_, we're not here to cause trouble." And with narrowed eyes, she added, "Unlike _you_, we actually have something better to do than be a complete_ arsehole_."

The expression on Draco's face darkened. "Why you little-"

"Now, now! Let's all calm down for a minute." Blaise cut in immediately. He could tell things were getting pretty ugly. The shopkeeper was already giving them looks and it didn't help that Tracey and Draco looked like they were ready to get into a fist fight. He knew Tracey wasn't a girl known to back down. He also knew that Draco, when pushed to his limit, wasn't completely above laying a hand on a girl he thought really deserved it. "No need to fight and get us all kicked out of here, especially if you guys plan on buying your sports gear here regularly."

"Yeah," Theodore agreed hastily in an effort to pacify his friends. "We're just here to buy Quidditch gear for our newest teammate, right, Tracey?"

"Really now?" The blonde boy's lips curled into his infamous sneer. "Because I can't_ see_ a new teammate anywhere." He folded his arms in front of him and looked down condescendingly at the girls. "In fact, all I see is a _Chaser_ that would do _well_ not to talk back to her captain-" He then glared directly at Eva. "-and a _pest_ that would do _well_ to go back to Italy and just bloody stay there."

Eva was hurt but said nothing back to the boy. Instead, she turned to her friends. "Come on," she said calmly as she motioned for them to go to a different part of the shop. "I think I see some Quidditch gloves over there."

But Tracey wasn't done with Draco just yet. "Yeah?" she asked angrily, folding her own arms. "Well all I can see is a _git_ that has his head shoved up his _arse_!"

The blonde boy's eyes snapped back to Tracey with a threatening look in them. "You better _watch_ what you say to me, Davis!" he fumed. "That's if you still want to keep playing for our team."

This time, the pony-tailed witch kept her mouth shut but continued to glare daggers at him anyway.

After a final look of contempt at the two girls, Draco stomped out of the shop with Blaise following closely behind and looking back apologetically at the three Chasers.

With the blonde boy gone, Tracey threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Sometimes, I just wanna beat his over-sized, pompous head in with a club!"

Eva, on the other hand, had a guilty look on her face. "I'm sorry you had to stick up for me," she said forlornly, mentally chastising herself for letting Tracey handle the fight that was really only meant for her. "I didn't want to jeopardize your spot on the team..."

The pony-tailed girl waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that, Eva," she chuckled, slinging an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Draco won't dare take me out of the team."

"She's right," Theodore chuckled as well. "Tracey's too much of an asset to get rid of."

"Oh, but Draco's an _asset_, too, you know!" Tracey said sardonically. "An asset off by two _letters_, that is."

* * *

><p>With the trip almost at its end, Daphne, Millicent and Pansy met up with the three Chasers at the Three Broomsticks Inn. They drank butterbeers, had some snacks and talked about their eventful day.<p>

"Just look at all these sweets I got, Eva!" Millicent bragged, showing the group her bag overflowing with all kinds of candy and chocolates. She took a piece of chocolate and popped it in her mouth. "Want some?" she asked, happily chewing into the chocolate's nutty center.

"No, it's okay," the blonde chuckled. "We passed by Honeydukes, too." Eva recalled seeing jars, stands and shelves upon shelves upon _more_ shelves of all sorts of candy and chocolate. Being there made her feel like a little kid again. "It's amazing! I've never seen so much sweets before in my life!"

"I know!" Millicent agreed enthusiastically, popping another piece of candy into her mouth. "It's the best place in the whole wide world if you ask me!"

Daphne, on the other hand, grimaced. "It's the best place to get _diabetes_, you mean. Just _looking_ at all the sweets there gave me a toothache!"

"Sweet Salazar, Daphne! You're too bloody serious." Millicent sneered. "You need to lighten up!" She then shoved the bag of sweets into the girl's lap, almost causing Daphne to spill her drink. "Here, eat some!"

Daphne glared and shoved the bag right back. "I would much rather keep my teeth intact, thank you very much."

The chubby Slytherin scowled and took a big piece of chocolate from her bag. "Come on! Open wiiide!"

The group laughed as Millicent tried to force some candy into Daphne's mouth. The latter was able to swat it away, however, and the chocolate fell on the floor, much to Millicent's distress.

And all this time, Pansy was sulking and miserably drinking her butterbeer like there was a dark cloud over her head. They would have to return to Hogwarts soon and she'd yet to see her precious Drakie. She'd been dreaming of having a date with him for ages but now she'd have to wait for the next Hogsmeade trip.

"Oh yeah, you guys should check out Eva's wicked new Quidditch uniform!" Theodore announced proudly. Then, turning to the other two Chasers, he said, "Go on! Show them!"

Equally proud, Tracey took the uniform out of the paper bag for the other girls to admire. "It's great she's part of our team now, isn't it?" she asked, admiring their purchase as well.

"_Annoying_ is more like it."

The group turned their heads and saw Draco and Blaise nearing their table. It was pretty obvious that the snide comment came from the blonde, judging by the sigh that Blaise just released and the dark scowl on Draco's face.

Theodore and Tracey exchanged looks while Eva kept her eyes and hands on her butterbeer. One confrontation with the menace per day was all she could really take.

"Drakie!" Pansy squealed, immediately standing at attention with a renewed purpose. She pushed through her friends to stand beside the blonde boy and knocked over Theodore's drink in the process, spilling his butterbeer all over their table.

"Ugh! Pansy!" Theodore groaned, standing up in surprise. "Look what you did!"

The other Slytherins on the table immediately evacuated their belongings from the table to avoid getting butterbeer on them.

Not really noticing the trouble she caused for her friends, Pansy claimed the blonde boy's left arm as hers and looked up at him with a flirty smile. "I missed you _so_ much!"

Blaise smirked at her. "What? No greeting for me?"

Pansy just stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to Draco with glistening eyes. "There's still time for a quick date, Drakie!" she cooed but was thoroughly ignored.

Tracey was about to return the uniform back in its bag when Draco sneered, "Don't put that back just yet, Davis."

The pony-tailed girl stopped and looked at him strangely. "What?"

A wry smile formed on the boy's face as he eyed the Quidditch uniform in the Chaser's hand. "You can go ahead and use that to _wipe_ the table."

That was the last straw. Tracey stood up with murderous eyes fixed on Draco. She was not just passionate about Quidditch, to the point that she believed their uniforms were _sacred_ (she personally washed her own uniforms to make sure nothing bad happened to them and she kept them in a secret chest in their room), but she was also intensely loyal to those who earned her friendship. Eva was one of the select few who did and she wasn't about to let Draco get away with what he said.

In a flash, the pony-tailed girl's wand was out and pointed threateningly at Draco, making their other friends gasp. "You wanna say that again, _Captain_?" she seethed, ignoring Theodore's pleas to stand down. The people at the inn were already starting to stare at them.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Davis?" Pansy shrieked as she took a step back.

Blaise also tried to dissuade Draco from retaliating, but his words fell on deaf ears. Unfazed, Draco brought out his own wand and pointed it back at her. "You _seriously_ want to lose your spot on the team, don't you?"

"What? Can't think of anything else to throw at me besides that?" Tracey gripped her wand tighter. "That's just low, Malfoy! Even for you!"

"Low? You want low?" Draco scoffed, eyes darkening with fury. "I'll show you _low_!"

He raised his wand hand and was just about to cast a hex when Eva stood up and pointed her own wand at him.

"Enough!" she shouted angrily. "Don't you_ dare_ hurt Tracey!"

This time the whole group went silent. This was the first time they (excluding Draco) saw her so furious. The usual cheer and warmth in her eyes were gone and were replaced by an intimidating and highly unnerving look. Even her fellow blonde was taken aback for a moment.

She had just about reached the end of her tolerance. She was done putting up with his cruel treatment. Draco was going too far!

The blonde boy looked at Eva's wand and smiled dryly. "Getting used to pointing that thing at me, eh?"

The other Slytherins exchanged confused looks but Eva kept her eyes on her opponent. "I can get used to it if there is a need to."

The sarcastic smile on the boy's face disappeared and in its place was another scowl. "You think you're so bloody righteous, don't you?" he spat. "You're just like the rest of those _blood traitors_. Hypocritical, weak-"

He lowered his wand, looking down at her with disgust.

"-and a complete waste of time and space!"

Draco then turned and stalked out of the inn, leaving a stunned group of Slytherins.

"Harsh." Millicent mumbled, absentmindedly eating another piece of candy.

"Is that really all you can say after what we just saw?" Daphne asked irritably. But the chubby Slytherin just shrugged and ate more of her candy.

"This is just too much drama." Blaise sighed in exasperation. "I'm going to go get myself a butterbeer."

"This is all your fault, Tracey!" Pansy snapped, pointing a finger at the Chaser. "None of this would've happened if you just kept your damn mouth shut!"

"How is this _my_ fault?" the accused witch asked in disbelief. "Are you blind? Did you not _see_ what kind of arsehole he was to Eva?"

"Now I'll never get to have a date with Draco!" Pansy whined and stomped off to get a butterbeer as well.

Tracey shook her head in annoyance. "How daft can a girl get?" And realizing that her blonde friend was dead silent, Tracey turned to her. "You okay, Eva?"

The witch made no reply and no movement. Her head was bent low and her face was hidden by some of her blonde hair. The other two Chasers exchanged looks yet again.

Theodore stood up to comfort her. "Don't mind him, Eva," he said softly. "He's just been cranky lately. He's like that with me, too, sometimes."

Still no reply.

"Eva?"

He was about to put a hand on her shoulder when the girl suddenly dashed out of the inn, ignoring her friends' calls. Once outside, she ran up the street that would lead back to Hogwarts, pushing through crowds and looking frantically for something. After running for what seemed like forever, the crowd started to thin and the sounds of people talking and laughing, the sounds of footsteps and doors opening and closing started to fade in the distance. Finally, she saw on the road up ahead the familiar blonde hair and dark cloak trudging alone towards the school grounds.

She felt her blood boil inside her. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest. Her legs were starting to hurt from all the running and she was out of breath, but she wasn't planning to stop.

With all her might, she shouted at the top of her voice one word.

"Coward!"

The boy immediately stopped and turned around, surprise clearly etched on his face. Eva took this opportunity to slow down to a stop. Her knees were buckling and she was sweating profusely despite the cold weather.

Draco looked at her in astonishment before stomping menacingly towards her. "What did you say?"

Eva was bent over trying to catch her breath, but she kept her eyes on him. "You...are a coward!" she repeated, a little breathlessly this time.

The boy before her had a bloodcurdling look in his eyes, like he was about to use one of the forbidden spells on her, but Eva wasn't going to back down.

Not anymore.

"You insult people. You ridicule them. You step on them." She straightened herself up and looked levelly up at him. It was then that he saw her eyes were red, like she had been forcing back tears. "But at the end of the day, all you're really doing is _running away_...running away like a _coward!_"

Draco was about to retort something but Eva quickly cut him off. "You choose to be this...this arrogant, selfish, condescending arsehole-" She paused and searched his darkened eyes. "-even though you know you could be so much better!"

A crooked smile appeared on his lips. "Is that so?" he laughed sarcastically. "Because you know me so _well_?"

"I think I know you well enough to be able to say all these things," she replied confidently. Then, in a calmer tone, she added, "We were always on the same page, Draco. You just don't want to admit it!"

The boy was instantly reminded of their first fight and a sickening feeling washed over him. It almost felt like guilt but he pushed it away before it stuck to him. "Stop acting like you've got me all figured out, Bellator! You know _nothing_ about me!"

"How can you say that?" Eva exclaimed, the tone of her voice going up again. "Overbearing parents? Ridiculous pureblood traditions? Matters on blood purity?" She counted each one on her fingers for emphasis. "You _know_ that the both of us are going through all of these even as we speak!"

Then for the first time during their confrontation, she looked away.

"I know how it feels..." she said tentatively in just barely above a whisper as she wrung her wrists. "I know how it feels to have your own parents ridicule and scorn you...to have them impose on you certain beliefs and traditions which your conscience incessantly disagrees with, but which you try to follow and live by anyway just so you could gain their appreciation...at the very _least_..."

She paused and blinked a couple of times. This time, he could tell she really _was_ blinking back tears.

"To feel like all your _efforts_ are never enough...to feel like _you _are never enough...and to just feel so...so _powerless_." She paused again. "I know how you feel, Draco."

There was a silence before the boy scoffed, "You _know_." Eva looked back up at him and saw the unabated anger in his mercurial eyes. "You _know_ how it feels and yet you sided with Granger? You claim to _know_ what I'm going through and yet you dared to use your wand on me?" He clenched his fists and took a step closer to the witch. "You _know_! And yet you turned your back against me!"

Eva's brows furrowed. "I just chose to do what's right...for once!"

"And so you chose that Mudblood over me."

Something flashed in the boy's eyes that caught the girl off guard. The anger in his eyes was mixed with something else. It was mixed with the same _hurt_ that she had caught a glimpse of the first time they had a heated fight. The hurt in his mercurial eyes looked genuine and it had a real vulnerability to it but before she could delve deeper into its meaning, it was gone.

"You went and got me to coach you," Draco continued scathingly as he slowly circled the witch. "Actually, you got me to do _more_ than just coaching! You got me to actually yap about my family, as if we were suddenly such good friends... What a bunch of _bollocks_ that was!"

And in a harsher tone, he added, "And then you went and threw everything right back in my face!"

"But what you did to Hermione was wrong! Deep down, you know that!" the witch replied angrily as she faced the boy. "Yes, we're purebloods and we're expected to live and act a certain way. We can go ahead and mix with our 'pureblood crowd', pretend to enjoy their company, pretend that we actually fit in, for the sake of maintaining connections our crowd seems to _value_ so much. But when it comes to dealing with people who are 'different' from us, we can't treat them like...like _rubbish_!"

This was it, the climax of their confrontation. Draco felt his temper reach its boiling point. Everything he loathed about her - their rivalry in class, her betrayal that day with Granger, her self-righteousness, her tryouts, and even her friendship with Theodore (although he could never fully understand why it bothered him so) - surfaced. Every bad feeling, every hurt, every ounce of guilt and every bit of anger he had been feeling and keeping to himself for weeks...and actually even for years...was about to explode right out of him!

"And why _not_?" he roared, throwing his hands up in the air. "That's how purebloods like us were raised! That is what's _expected_ of us, isn't it? You said it yourself! That's how our parents _want_ us to be! So what's so wrong about doing what we were taught to do...what they _want_ us to do?" Draco seethed as his face turned red from anger, "Tell me, what's so wrong about accepting the cards I was dealt with?"

This was the angriest Eva had ever seen the boy be. Their first fight was nothing like this one and he looked like he was on the verge of murder. But she had finally drawn him out. She had finally broken down the walls he had taken great pains to building. So she stood her ground.

"Yes, that's how we were raised. That's our tradition. We were taught to look down on anyone who was considered 'filth' and on anyone who sided with them." Eva agreed. "But you helped me realize something that day with Hermione."

She took a step closer to him this time and met his unwavering gray eyes with her own determined ones. "We just can't keep hiding behind that excuse!" she exclaimed, clenching her hands into tight fists. "Yes, it's true that every single experience we have in our life shapes the kind of people we are. But that doesn't automatically mean we become _victims_ of our circumstances!"

She breathed out slowly. "It isn't our circumstances - our family, our traditions, the kind of life we were born into - that _define_ who we are," she calmly continued. "Rather, it's the way we choose to _act_ on those circumstances. It's the way we choose to play those cards we're stuck with."

All the while, Eva searched Draco's eyes and watched the fire in them gradually die down. She knew she was getting through to him...even if it was just by a little bit.

"We're not mindless drones, Draco. We always have a choice in the matter."

The boy looked away and silence crept over them.

After a while, it was Draco who first broke that silence. "Nice speech, Bellator." he scoffed. "Come up with that one all on your own?" However, there was now hardly any hint of disdain in his voice. Although he still had a scowl on and his brows were still knitted closely together, the menacing look he had had turned into a more pensive one.

Eva wrapped her sweater tighter around her as a cold gust of wind passed through them. "I never meant to spite you, Draco, and I certainly never meant to betray you," she said softly. "I just did what I thought was right. And I honestly hope that one day..." The witch paused to search his eyes once more. "...that one day, we can be friends."

Draco looked at her in slight astonishment, then he frowned. "Don't hold your breath."

And without another word, he quickly marched back up to the school grounds, leaving Eva behind.

He shook his head and laughed dryly to himself. After everything that had happened between them, he couldn't believe she still wanted to be friends. He thought it was downright _stupid_ of her. It was damn well far-fetched. She was barking _mad_ to even hope for that, wasn't she?

But somehow, he couldn't get himself to laugh right in her face when she said it. He couldn't bring himself to scorn her or hate her even more for saying those things.

Not when she had that sincere look on her face.

Not when, deep down, he knew that she had _finally_ gotten to him.

Not when, _deep_, _deep_ down in the darkest caverns of his heart, he knew she had done the almost impossible.

She had knocked some sense into him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: (For those of you who read this chapter already, I edited some parts. :P)**

**First of all, I apologize (yet again) for the late post! T_T **

**I know this is super late! I told some of you that this would be out by Saturday or Sunday but things have just been piling on and on and on!**

**I hope you don't think that I've lost interest in my story. I assure you, I plan on seeing this through to the very end! So I also hope you don't lose interest because I take so long to update.**

**Anyway, in this chapter here, Eva has finally knocked some sense into Draco's thick 'ol head. You can definitely expect less jerkiness from him in the next chapter. :)**

**As a little gesture of repentance (for being so bad with deadlines...it's a sickness I swear), here's a little sneak preview of the next chapter: Practices for Quidditch matches are up...and Eva gets sick. Guess who's worried? Teehee! ;)**

**Thank you for your reviews, messages and for your constant support! It really gives me the drive to pursue this thing, so thanks! I look forward to hearing more from you. :)**


	15. Quidditch Practice

**CHAPTER 15  
><strong>**"Quidditch Practice"**

Eva rushed to the Quidditch stands and saw that her teammates were already on their brooms practicing for their upcoming match with the Gryffindors. Tracey and Theodore flew in spectacular patterns as part of their tactic while a male student she did not know guarded the goal posts and blocked out their shots. She figured that unknown student must have been picked as the new Keeper. She frowned though when she saw Lucian Bole whose arrogance during the tryouts had peeved her immensely. But even _she_ had to admit that he had skills. He effortlessly swatted a speeding Bludger away from Tracey. It was just the exceedingly smug look on his face that ruined any inclination to admire him. She also saw that he was the only Beater on the pitch, prompting her to think that perhaps no one had passed the Beater tryouts.

And then she noticed that _someone_ was missing.

"Faster, Nott!" a familiar voice bellowed from the side. "At the rate you're going, the enemy will have stolen the Quaffle already!"

Her eyes snapped to the direction of the voice and saw that the team captain was also on the stands some distance from her, watching his team's performance and shouting out instructions.

"Oi! Bletchley!" he shouted again, this time at the new Keeper. "Wake up! Even _Flitwick_ has better reflexes than you!"

Eva stood frozen in place as she stared at the back of her fellow blonde. Ever since their heated confrontation at Hogsmeade, she didn't really know how to act around the boy. Although in truth, that really didn't prove to be a problem since she only saw him during class and even then they never spoke to each other. Not once did he even so much as _look_ at her and after each class, he'd immediately disappear. It was as if he were avoiding her like a plague.

And why wouldn't he? After all the things they'd said (but really more like shouted) to each other, after airing out so many issues, it couldn't be helped if things got a little awkward (or worse) between them. She pinked a little when she remembered the last thing she said to him. Had she been too bold to even suggest such an idea to the blonde boy? When she had returned to her room after their fight that day and had reflected on the words they had exchanged with each other, she had felt a little embarrassed with what she said. But she couldn't deny the fact that she had meant every word of her little speech...especially regarding the _last_ part.

The witch was still debating with herself whether she should let Draco know she had arrived for their practice when he turned and saw her. Startled, Eva tried to think of something to say but came out short on words. He had a frown on his face but Eva thought it was far better than the scowl he usually greeted her with. He kept his gray eyes on her for a moment, as if studying her, and then turned back to the pitch with arms crossed against his chest.

"You're late," he said gruffly.

Indeed, the blonde witch was about fifteen minutes late. She had taken so long in the loo just putting on her Quidditch uniform and gear. Tracey had taught her how to put it on the night before, but still she found herself fumbling with laces, straps and knots a little while ago.

"If you want to stay on the team," he sternly continued. "Don't be late again."

Eva stared at him for a while longer. _"I guess he's still angry with me then,"_ she thought before mounting her broom.

She wondered whether any of the things she had told him before at Hogsmeade stuck to him at all. During their fight, it _seemed_ like she was able to get the message through to him loud and clear. It _seemed_ like he was able to absorb every single word she had said and there was this little spark of hope ignited in her that he would consider her offer of friendship.

But the same cold attitude he was giving her now made her feel like she made no difference on him whatsoever.

Eva flew towards Theodore and Tracey whose greetings greatly contrasted with the previous one she received.

"Welcome to our Quidditch practices, Eva! Glad you made it!" Tracey exclaimed with a bright smile. She then chuckled upon spying a couple of faulty knots and loose laces. "Looks like you had trouble with your uniform though."

"Yeah," Eva smiled sheepishly. "That's kind of the reason why I'm late."

Tracey wasn't the only one eyeing the witch in her uniform. Theodore was staring at the blonde pointblank with a dumbstruck smile on his face. It was his first time to see her in their complete Quidditch uniform since Tracey had shooed him away when Eva was trying it on at Spintwitches. And now that he was able to see her in one, he felt his heart skip a beat. He'd seen that uniform countless times on other girls like Tracey but they had never caught his attention like Eva had. There was just something about her being covered up so much like that, something about her looking so sporty and raring to go...something about her that drove him _wild_.

To him, the blonde witch wearing their Quidditch uniform was _the_ sexiest thing he ever saw.

The pony-tailed girl, of course, didn't pass up the chance for a little tease. "Looks good on her, doesn't it?" she asked the boy, flashing him a smirk.

Theodore snapped back to reality and blushed. "Y-Yeah, it...it looks good," he stuttered, scratching his head from embarrassment. "_Really_ good..."

Eva smiled at him brightly making him blush even more.

"Well, well, well," said a deep voice behind her. "If it isn't the newbie."

The blonde witch turned her head and saw Lucian Bole hovering near them, arms crossed and looking down at her like she was some kind of cockroach waiting to be crushed. Up close, he looked even burlier, his forehead looked even larger and his sneer was ten times more hateful. Eva couldn't help but frown at him.

"Just be sure to keep up, girly," he scowled. "We don't just need _luck_ on our team. We need skill."

Apparently, he hadn't forgotten how Eva had humiliated him during the Quidditch tryouts. He refused to believe that she was able to get into the team (by besting him) purely on talent.

"I hardly think luck has anything to do with her getting _four_ Quaffles past you, Bole." Theodore countered, narrowing his eyes at the Beater.

Bole, in turn, focused his piercing dark eyes on the boy. Sparks seemed to fly as they glared at each other menacingly. Their little discussion was cut short, however, by their irritated captain. "Enough chitchat!" the blonde boy shouted from the stands. "Back to your places!"

With a final glare, Bole turned on his broom and flew off to continue keeping Bludgers away from the team.

"Don't mind Bole. He can be a real jerk sometimes." Tracey spat as she flew back to their original positions across the goal posts with Eva and Theodore flying on either side of her. "And Malfoy's not any better."

Eva frowned. "I'm just glad Draco didn't push through with his threat to remove you from the team."

"Told you he wouldn't dare take me out." Tracey chuckled as she caught the Quaffle Theodore passed to her. "Not if he wants to win that shiny ol' Quidditch Cup he's been eyeing for ages." She then tossed the Quaffle to Eva. "Anyway, time to get down to business. You still remember the tactics we talked about last night, right?"

Eva caught the Quaffle and nodded.

"Good!" Tracey smiled. "Because we'll be practicing that now."

"We'll practice the Hawkshead Attacking Formation first." Theodore piped in as he flew beside Tracey.

The two girls nodded and positioned themselves. Tracey flew upward while Theodore flew slightly to the pony-tailed girl's bottom right and Eva flew slightly to her bottom left. After a few seconds, they were able to form a triangle shape as they flew towards the goal posts. This particular move was meant to intimidate the other team's Chasers and push them aside, as well as to confuse the Keeper. They practiced passing the Quaffle around while in formation but Eva, still unused to working with other Chasers, fumbled with the ball and dropped it a couple of times, prompting the team captain to shout out more criticism.

As the practice progressed, Eva got a little better, but she still wasn't up to par in Draco's eyes. Scoring came easily to her but passing the Quaffle and getting into the correct positions with her other Chasers proved to be a challenge for Eva. Tracey and Theodore were patient with her since it was her first practice. Draco and Bole, on the other hand, took turns shouting at Eva much to her displeasure.

"Porskoff Ploy next!" Theodore instructed, tossing the Quaffle upward to Tracey who was still at the top of their Hawkshead formation. Now the Porskoff Ploy tactic was particularly difficult. The Chaser at the top of the formation would fly straight upwards and, once high enough, would drop the Quaffle. Another Chaser would then fly directly below the first Chaser and catch the dropped ball. This move was often used to confuse the Chasers of the opposing team. It was actually just a matter of catching the falling Quaffle but it required exact timing and mistakes were unacceptable.

Eva gripped her broom nervously as Theodore signaled for her to be the one to catch the Quaffle Tracey would be dropping. The pony-tailed witch was already flying straight upwards when Eva flew into position. In a second, the Quaffle was dropped and the blonde witch zoomed forward to catch it. However, she was a second too late. Her hand missed it by just mere inches.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the team captain roared from the stands. "We can't have slip ups like that in the game!"

Unfortunately, the rest of the practice didn't go too well either. At the end of their practice, the players returned to the stands. Eva flew back dejectedly. She felt like transfiguring her uniform into a shell and crawling into it out of shame. Her teammates had played really well. Even the new Keeper, who she later found out was named Miles Bletchley, did a pretty good job blocking out their shots.

Tracey and Theodore were giving her encouraging smiles and taking turns giving her comforting words but once she landed on the stands, Bole immediately stalked up to her with a smug look on his face.

"Like I said," he sniffed as he towered over her. "It takes more than luck to stay on the team."

"Back off, Bole!" Theodore said bravely, moving beside the blonde witch. "It's her first practice. It's understandable!"

Tracey also moved to Eva's side and crossed her arms. The blonde witch, on the other hand, decided to ignore the burly student and to focus instead on removing her gear. She didn't need to have him tell her how bad she played. She already knew.

"Bole! Nott!" Draco shouted from behind as he stomped towards the team with a dark look on his face. Eva looked up from her gear and felt her heartbeat quicken from anxiety. The blonde boy looked absolutely pissed and she knew it was because of her poor performance. She also knew she couldn't ignore_ this_ particular boy like she had ignored Bole. He shot Eva a dark look before turning to the two boys. "Stop bickering and start collecting the balls!"

Theodore and Bole grumbled before going off to do as they were told. Draco then turned to Tracey, who was glaring him down, and Bletchley, who looked anxious and out of place.

"Practices are done. You can leave." Then, fixing his eyes on his fellow blonde again, he scowled. "I need to have a word with Bellator. _Alone_."

Bletchley excused himself, relieved to get away from the tense atmosphere. Tracey, on the other hand, stood defiantly in place.

"I'm not leaving, Eva." Tracey firmly said, making Draco take a menacing step towards her. He was about to answer back when Eva squeezed her friend's arm.

"I'll be okay, Tracey," she quickly said, forcing a small smile on her face. She didn't want her friend to get into trouble again because of her. "I'll meet you back in our dormitory."

Tracey looked at her worriedly. "What? You sure?"

Eva only nodded in response, making the pony-tailed girl sigh and hesitantly walk off but not without shooting a final glare at Draco.

Once alone with her fellow blonde, though, Eva immediately felt like calling Tracey back. He was looking down at her with annoyance yet again but she knew it wasn't completely unjustified this time. The way she played during their practice was unsatisfactory at best. Even _she_ was disappointed with herself. She wouldn't be surprised if he kicked her out of the team right then and there.

Also, there was still the uncomfortable fact that they had confronted each other at Hogsmeade the other day and hadn't had closure of any kind. She still couldn't figure out how Draco took their_ last_ confrontation and now it looked like they were going to have one _again_.

Draco's scowl darkened and Eva waited nervously for him to officially kick her off the team. However, the words that left his mouth were not what she expected.

"Don't insult your team members."

She stared at him, dumbfounded. "W-What?" she managed lamely.

"You heard me," he seethed. "These people bust their _arse_ everyday to train hard. To have a shot at the championship. To_ earn_ their spot on the team." He took another intimidating step towards to her. "Davis is a bloody pain in the neck and sometimes I just want to strangle her, but at least she can back up her attitude with her commitment and skill." He crossed his arms against his chest, his mercurial eyes darkening with rage. "And then you come along with your half-arse performance and just _spit_ on our efforts!"

Eva cringed at his hurtful words. This was far worse than being kicked off the team. She shot him an offended look. "I didn't mean-"

"You may have passed the tryouts," he irritably cut her off. "But that doesn't automatically mean you deserve to be on the team! A permanent spot on the team is _earned_..." His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. "...as is my respect."

He grabbed his broom on the stands and turned to go. "If you can't pull yourself together, then don't even bother attending practices."

The blonde witch was left speechless as she watched the boy stomp away from her for the nth time and as a number of emotions surged through her. She felt hurt and shamed. At the same time, she felt frustrated. Yes, she had done a poor job during their practice but, darn it all, it was her first time to really work with the team and she was still getting used to their strategies! Insulting her teammates was definitely _not_ on her to-do list!

Eva had been training hard for weeks and she thought she had proved her worth and determination during the tryouts. But apparently, it wasn't enough. Apparently, she needed to do much, much more. Getting on the team was the easy part, wasn't it? Staying on it was the real test. Draco thought she didn't have what it took? He thought she didn't take their sport seriously? He thought she couldn't measure up to his standards? Well, he was wrong!

With a determined look in her eyes, she brusquely put her Quidditch gear back on.

She was going to prove to the blonde boy that she was worthy of her spot, that she was worthy of his respect and therefore worthy of his friendship.

* * *

><p>Theodore happily entered the Great Hall with his two best friends as he whistled a merry tune. He ignored the weird looks his fellow Slytherins were giving him, the cocky grin Blaise seemed to keep shooting at him nowadays and the surly mood Draco was predisposed to be in, and eagerly made his way to Eva's usual table at lunch in the hopes of getting to sit beside her. But once her table came into sight, he stopped whistling and frowned. He saw Eva's roommates...but no Eva.<p>

He and his friends sat down at the table beside the girls, prompting Pansy to quickly situate herself beside Draco and do what she did best: flirt relentlessly with the unresponsive blonde boy.

"Hey! Where's Eva?" Theodore immediately asked upon taking his seat.

Daphne looked at him and smirked. "Well hello to you, too, Theodore." She took a drink from her goblet but kept her eyes on him and kept the sly smile on her face.

Blaise stifled a chuckle and put a chicken breast on his plate. Draco, on the other hand, pointedly ignored the group and focused on his food, scowling and occasionally brushing Pansy's hands away from his arm.

"Isn't she eating lunch?" the dark-haired boy asked again, looking around the hall for any signs of the blonde witch.

Millicent, who was busy with her roast beef sandwich, looked up and frowned at the boy. "Why are you so concerned with Eva anyway?"

"Yes," Daphne repeated mockingly. "Why _are_ you so concerned?"

"Please do tell us." Blaise joined in as he smiled deviously.

Theodore's eyes widened as he pinked a little and looked down at his plate. His mind, however, was already contemplating pushing his dark-skinned best friend down the stairs and making it look like an accident. How could he do this to him? Theodore had a feeling Blaise _might_ know about his little...okay, BIG crush on Eva and he couldn't help but think Blaise _might_ be using it to make fun of him again.

What a bully.

"No reason," he lied, casually dumping some mashed potatoes onto his plate. "It's just that you girls are always eating together...that's all."

He mentally congratulated himself for his quick thinking...something he rarely did.

"Is that so?" Daphne swished the contents of her goblet around with a delicate hand, never taking her scrutinizing gaze from his face as she took pleasure in the tall boy's discomfort. "And yet you didn't even notice that _Tracey_ isn't with us either?"

Theodore looked up and surveyed their table. It was only then that he noticed his fellow Chaser was indeed missing. The blush on his face darkened. Damn it. He'd just given himself away.

This time, the dark-skinned boy was unable to suppress his laugh. Millicent just cocked an eyebrow at Theodore while Pansy smirked but kept most of her attention on Draco whose attention, in turn, was still pointedly kept on shoveling food into his mouth.

Satisfied with her attempt to tease Theodore, Daphne continued with her sly smile still in place, "Well, if you _must_ know, she and Tracey are training at the Quidditch pitch."

"Training?" Theodore repeated, his eyebrows knitted together. "But I already helped her train this morning...and besides, it's lunchtime!"

"They brought food with 'em I think." Millicent chipped in before taking another big bite from her sandwich.

"Poor Eva," Pansy sneered. "She probably got infected with Davis' obsession for Quidditch."

Theodore spooned some of the mashed potatoes into his mouth. "Well our first match is coming up soon. She's probably just preparing."

At that moment, Draco slammed his goblet down on the table, slung his bag on his shoulder and abruptly stood up to leave. His plate was already empty.

"Drakie, where are you going?" Pansy whined, holding onto his arm.

"Yeah, mate," Theodore added as he chewed. "We just got here!"

Draco shook the short-haired girl's hand off none too gently and crossly replied, "I've got things to do."

The group watched him walk out of the Great Hall before exchanging looks.

Millicent was the first to break the silence yet again. "What's Mr. Grumpy-pants' problem now?"

"Errr...I think we should hold off talking about Eva from now on when Draco's around. They're still not on good terms." Blaise cleared his throat. "Remember their little row at Three Broomsticks?"

"Right..." Millicent replied, pausing before she took another bite. "That was nasty."

Pansy pushed her vegetables around with a fork as she glumly rested her head on a propped up elbow. "I still say it was all Davis' fault."

"Which reminds me..." Daphne drummed her fingers on the table. "What really strikes me as curious is what Draco told her back at the inn," she said thoughtfully, like some kind of detective close to solving a mystery case. "He said that Eva was 'getting used to pointing her wand at him'."

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that!" Theodore exclaimed. "Wonder what that was all about..."

"I've been wondering about that for a while now, too," Blaise admitted, scratching his chin with a reflective expression on his face. "Perhaps they'd gotten into some kind of scuffle. That would explain why they're presently having a go at each other."

"Actually, if you'll notice, it's really just Draco who's on the offensive." Daphne frowned. "And another thing...he'd called her a 'blood traitor'."

Millicent burped after finishing her sandwich, making Daphne look at her with disgust. After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Millicent said, "Wonder what she did to make him call her that."

Theodore was quick to defend though. "I don't think Eva would ever do anything to deserve such an insult!" he exclaimed with an affronted look on his face.

"Yeah, Draco usually just doles out insults on a whim." Blaise chuckled. "Maybe it's nothing..."

Meanwhile, back in their dormitories and lounging on his bed, the blonde boy being talked about sneezed.

He wiped his nose with a handkerchief. _"Some bloody idiot's probably gossiping about me,"_ he thought irritably.

He was glad to be back in their room and away from the annoying group of Slytherins that just wouldn't seem to shut up about his fellow blonde. Why did every conversation have to be about her anyway? What was she? Some kind of celebrity?

And now they got _him_ thinking about her, too! It was like some kind of infectious disease!

He tossed aside his handkerchief and clasped his hands behind his head as he reflected on what he had heard before he left the table.

They'd said the annoying witch had trained with Theodore that morning and was now training with Davis. Well, she should be! Judging from the way she performed during the first practice, she was nowhere near ready to participate in any Quidditch match. Their first game would be coming up soon and he'd be damned if they lost again to the Gryffindors...if he lost again to the Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die.

No, she'd better not keep ruining things for him if she ever wanted him to consider her little offer for "reconciliation". He still thought she was barking _mad_ to even suggest being friends with her after everything. 

_Him_? Friends with _Bellator_?

He clutched at his chest and kept his eyes on the ceiling.

She was barking mad...

...but bloody brave.

* * *

><p>Draco woke up early the next morning. He glanced at his two best friends and saw that they were still sleeping soundly as they should be considering it was just bloody <em>four<em> in the morning. Yawning, he put on his black joggers and sweater, then proceeded to slip his feet into his running shoes. It was a routine of his to go jogging around the castle grounds early in the morning. As captain of their Quidditch team, he needed to be in good shape. He also used this time to think since he barely had enough peace and quiet to do so whenever Theodore, Blaise or his other friends were around.

He enjoyed jogging very early in the morning, while there were still no annoying students to pester him or watch him jog around like some piece of meat. He used to jog in the afternoons just so he could see girls swoon over or ogle him. It used to inflate his ego to no end, but now, after having been forced to grow up by certain events and certain people, he just found schoolgirl crushes annoying, bothersome and pointless.

The blonde smirked when he saw the messy state of his dark-haired friend's sleeping form. Theodore was snoring and had his limbs thrown about on his bed. One of his pillows somehow found its way to his feet while the other one was on the floor together with his blanket. He was a stark contrast to Blaise who was sleeping quietly, tucked neatly under his covers. Draco approached Theodore's bed, threw the blanket on the dark-haired boy (not really caring whether it properly covered his friend), smirked again and left their room.

He snuck out of the castle and immediately felt the cold early morning air surround him. He cursed when he realized he had forgotten to bring gloves. It was bloody freezing out! He rubbed his hands together and stuffed them into his sweater's front pockets.

He started jogging around, vigilantly watching out for any of the dark and hooded creatures that were littered around the school grounds. It wasn't exactly safe to be out at that time, considering a criminal was on the loose and the dementors looking for said criminal weren't any better, but he had brought his wand with him anyway. He was confident he could duel the low-life criminal and was confident with his ability to cast the Patronus charm. His father, learning about the dementors that would be present in the school, had taught him well during the vacation.

Draco was approaching the Quidditch pitch when he suddenly saw something flying around it. He stopped in his tracks.

_"What the hell was that?"_

Was it just his imagination playing a trick on him? It was bloody four in the morning! Who or _what_ could be on the pitch? After a few seconds, he saw something fly around again. He took out his wand and cautiously jogged towards the pitch, hiding behind some nearby trees. It didn't take him long, however, to recognize the Slytherin Quidditch uniform and the short blonde hair that was on the girl flying around on her broom.

He frowned and looked on in disbelief. Was he seeing right?

_"Bellator?"_

She flew back in sight and he could see that she was carrying a ball with her. A Quaffle to be exact. She was practicing _this_ early in the morning? He breathed warm air out onto his hands and rubbed them together again. It was freezing out there and she was practicing for their match? He watched her do a Woollongong Shimmy (a zigzag flying technique much like the one she had used during the tryouts) as she flew towards a goal post. She quickly threw the Quaffle through the center goal post and dove out of his sight to catch the ball again.

_"Training hard, is she?" _he thought to himself. _"I wonder how long this new-found determination will last?"_

He firmly believed that that hard-working attitude of hers was just for now. He'd injured her pride after all by basically telling her she wasn't worthy of being on his team. But soon, he knew she'd eventually forget all about it. Sooner or later, the exhaustion would get to her and she'd eventually quit training so hard.

She'd eventually quit trying to get on his good side...just like most people did.

He watched her throw the Quaffle through a goal post one last time before jogging off.

* * *

><p>It was exactly four in the morning and Draco got ready to go jogging again. Blaise was still sleeping peacefully while Theodore was still in his usual messy state. He yawned and put on his jogging apparel. Before leaving their room, he tossed the blanket yet again onto his dark-haired friend. It landed on his face, but the boy did not stir.<p>

He snuck out of the castle, this time with his wand and his gloves. It was still freezing cold outside so he rubbed his hands together and stuffed them into the front pockets of his sweater.

As he approached the Quidditch pitch, Draco wondered whether he would see the blonde witch again, hard at work practicing for their upcoming match. He hid behind some trees and waited to see someone flying around. After a few minutes, though, he saw nothing of the sort.

_"Given up already eh, Bellator?"_ he thought cynically.

He was right. Again. People always put on a good show of "determination", "inner strength" and "resilience"; but at the end of the day, only a select few really follow through. Apparently, Bellator was _not_ one of those few.

Draco thought he was supposed to congratulate himself for correctly guessing her weak character, but somehow, he didn't really feel like celebrating. Somehow, it didn't give him any satisfaction.

Instead, he scowled.

He was about to walk away from his hiding place when he suddenly heard the crunching of leaves nearby. Draco quickly turned his head. There, with her broom in one hand and the Quaffle under her other arm, was the blonde witch wearing her uniform and resolutely walking along the path towards the pitch. If she were tired, her walk certainly didn't give it away. Fortunately for the boy, she did not see him spying from behind the trees.

In just a few minutes, she was up in the air and practicing.

_"Well whaddya know..." _Draco crossed his arms and just watched her.

So he was wrong, huh? He smirked. Somehow, it didn't really bother him.

He leaned against the trunk of a tree and decided to forego jogging that morning.

* * *

><p>Eva sneezed, then quickly looked around the room to check whether she had woken up her roommates. If they saw her dressed in her Quidditch uniform at four in the morning, they'd think she'd gone mad! She sighed in relief when she saw that the four girls were still sleeping soundly in their beds. She had unfortunately woken up her owl, Noxx, and Millicent's cat. She shooed away the cat that was purring and rubbing itself between her legs and put a finger to her lips to signal her owl to stay silent.<p>

After making sure that Teddy was safely hidden under her pillows, she quietly snuck out of their room and, soon after, out of the castle via a secret passageway Tracey had shown her before. The pony-tailed girl used the same one to sneak off at night to train. She looked around warily before walking off towards the storage (located not too far from the pitch) that kept the Quidditch balls. She rubbed her hands together rapidly. The mornings seemed to be getting colder and colder and her gloves did little to warm her numbing hands. The wind seemed to be stronger as well that morning, making training conditions even worse for her.

She was exhausted. For days now, she'd been training early in the morning, during her breaks and even after classes with Tracey and Theodore. She was bloody exhausted. But she wasn't about to give up on her plan. She was determined to see it through.

After getting the Quaffle from the storage, she went straight to the pitch and started training. A couple of minutes in, she hovered on her broom to rest. The temperature outside was close to freezing but she still ended up sweating like crazy, making her feel even worse.

She sneezed again.

Then, as she took her lace handkerchief out from her pocket, she felt something wet drop on her face. At first, she thought it was just her own sweat, but then something wet dropped on it again. She wiped her cheek.

"Rain?" she asked no one in particular.

As if on cue, more raindrops started to fall. Since it was just drizzling, she decided to keep practicing. After a couple more minutes, however, the rain started to really pour down. The raindrops were ice cold and the equally cold wind was beating on her face. Her uniform didn't do much to keep her body warm either. She sneezed again and decided to skip practices. By the time she landed on the stands, the rain was pouring harder. Eva sneezed once more as she ran down the steps that would lead her out of the stands.

It wouldn't do her any good to get drenched by the rain. If she got sick, all of her hard work would be for nothing. If she got sick, a certain someone might get even more pissed with her. She mentally cursed herself for not having the foresight to check weather reports or at least bring an umbrella with her.

She had just decided to make a run for it back to the castle when she saw at the foot of the stairs, hanging from the railings by the handle, a black umbrella.

She stopped abruptly and did a double take. Had her exhaustion finally caught up with her? Was she seeing things? She was _sure_ she hadn't seen that umbrella there when she arrived at the pitch. Eva rushed down the rest of the stairs to look for the person who could have put it there but saw no one in the rain with her. Drenched, cold and desperate, she took the umbrella, opened it up and mentally thanked the kind soul who owned it.

* * *

><p>"Achoo!"<p>

Eva sneezed for the nth time. She reached for another sheet of tissue on her bedside table and wiped her nose. It was running like a faucet and her throat wasn't doing any better. It felt like it was scratched up by Millicent's cat. Her already red eyes were watery and her head felt like she'd just drunk a couple bottles of firewhiskey the night before. She groaned and thumped her fists against her bed.

She _hated_ being sick.

She _hated_ it with a passion.

She heard the door to their room creak and saw Tracey peer in. "Hey, Eva...I got you some breakfast," the pony-tailed girl said softly. She entered carrying a silver tray which she carefully placed on Eva's bedside table. Eva saw a banana, a bowl of soup, some bread and a glass of water on the tray. Tracey sat down by the blonde. "How're you feeling?"

Eva reached for some more tissue and blew her nose into it. Throwing her used tissues into a bin next to her bed, she sighed, "Never better." She coughed for a while and groaned.

"Yeah, I can see that." Tracey chuckled. She then proceeded to give Eva the glass of water. "You know, you should skip classes today and just rest up."

The blonde sat up on her bed, drank the water and handed it back to Tracey. "I can't afford to miss classes," she said, getting the banana and peeling it. "What if they suddenly hand out a pop quiz?"

"We could ask the professors for a makeup quiz."

"But what about the lecture? I can't ask for a makeup lecture." Eva miserably took a bite from the banana.

"You could borrow some of our notes, you know. It's just better for you to stay in bed." Tracey explained. "And no more Quidditch training for you!"

Eva's eyes snapped back to her friend's face and shook her head vigorously as she chewed.

"Come on, Eva. Don't make me get Madame Pomfrey in here." Tracey said sternly.

Fear flashed in the blonde's gray eyes. She hated being sick alright, but she hated being sick _and_ stuck in a hospital wing even _more_.

Swallowing, Eva immediately pleaded with her friend. "Please don't! Our first match is coming soon! I promise I'll take a rest during our breaks! I'll even ask for medicine from Madame Pomfrey!"

The pony-tailed girl sighed and shook her head at her friend's stubbornness. "I think Pansy and the others were right. I _am_ having a bad influence on you."

* * *

><p>Once in class, Eva tried her best to focus on her professors but her watery eyes, sore throat and dripping nose were getting the best of her. She had already taken the medicine given by the school nurse, but she still felt terrible. Her head was aching and all she wanted to do was sleep it all off. She hesitantly did so during her History of Magic class but she kept waking up due to the noise made by other inattentive students. When the time came for their Herbology class out in the greenhouses, Eva was well worn out.<p>

"You sure you can still manage, Eva?" Tracey asked worriedly as she walked beside the blonde. They were walking with their other classmates down a corridor that would lead them outside the castle where the greenhouses stood.

"Yeah, you look like a wilted flower." Millicent pointed out insensitively as she stared at the blonde witch.

Eva coughed then sniffed. Flatly, she replied, "Thanks for the comparison, Millicent."

Theodore briskly walked to her other side. "You really shouldn't be forcing yourself, Eva," he frowned, lightly holding onto her arm. "You might get worse!"

He'd been sporting a worried look on his face ever since he saw how sick Eva was. He liked it when her cheeks turned pink, like they were now because of her fever, but he didn't like her being sick like that. She looked so weak and fragile. He had to resist the urge to just pick her up in his arms and carry her to the hospital wing himself.

Eva sniffed again. "I just need to get Herbology over with and then I promise to head on over to the hospital wing."

"I can take you there right after the class!" Theodore offered immediately, hoping that she'd agree.

The blonde witch smiled tiredly at him and nodded.

Draco and Blaise were walking right behind them. The dark-skinned Slytherin was droning on about something he read in one of his business journals but Draco had long tuned him out. He was staring intently at his fellow blonde in front of them. He noticed she'd been constantly sneezing and coughing in class. Her voice was strained whenever she recited and she walked like she had jelly for legs. With all her training, she'd made herself sick. She really was _hopeless_.

Millicent unceremoniously pushed herself between Eva and Theodore. "What's gotten you that sick anyway?"

"Her gruesome Quidditch training, that's what!" Tracey exclaimed.

The group reached the door leading outside the castle and saw that it was still raining hard. The path to the greenhouses was not roofed so they brought their umbrellas with them. The other students were already opening theirs and running to the greenhouses.

Eva immediately remembered the mysterious umbrella she found at the Quidditch stands. It didn't exactly keep her from getting sick, but she knew that without it, she would have been completely soaked by the time she got back to the castle. Without it, she would have gotten even sicker than she was now so she was still pretty grateful.

She had hidden away the mysterious umbrella in their room and had brought her own with her. She still wondered who could have left it at the stands for her to use. She couldn't ask any of her roommates about it because then she'd be forced to tell them about her little training sessions at ungodly hours. She was sure Tracey would go ballistic if she ever found out. Although very passionate about the sport, the pony-tailed girl was very protective of her.

As if she were suddenly gifted with the ability to read minds, Tracey turned to the blonde and added, "Hey wait a sec...have you been training in the rain, too?"

Eva's eyes widened. She was so busted.

Sheepishly, she looked at her friends' stern faces and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Eva!" Tracey sighed in exasperation. "No wonder you're so sick!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The blonde witch quickly bowed her head and sniffed. "But don't worry! I'll make sure I get better before our first match!"

Theodore sighed as well. "You don't have to push yourself too hard. We can ask someone to play in your place if you still feel bad by then." He turned to his best friend walking behind them. "We can ask Montague to sit in, can't we Draco?"

Blaise was signaling Theodore to forego including Draco in any conversation regarding Eva (just as they talked about earlier) but the dark-haired boy forgot about that particular conversation, failed to understand his friend's signals and only looked at him strangely.

Draco frowned. "Why don't we just make Montague the new Chaser then?" he asked impatiently.

It was only at that moment that Theodore remembered the danger of including the two blondes in one conversation. He mentally kicked himself for his stupidity...yet again.

"N-Never mind! Forget I said anything!" he quickly said in the hopes of dousing the fire he had started. He really needed to learn how to keep his big mouth shut.

The blonde boy glared at him before turning to Eva. Her face was flushed from her fever and she looked like she'd topple over with just a little push. But still, she met his eyes with her own tired yet unwavering ones.

It didn't bring him any satisfaction to see the blonde pest looking so weak. A few weeks ago, he would have been pleased with her misfortune and would have mocked her for her stupidity. But now...he was just annoyed. He wasn't really sure as to why.

_"She should have taken better care of herself,"_ he thought to himself as he studied the now fragile-looking girl before him. _"She shouldn't have let herself get sick like that!"_

Out loud, he gruffly asked, "How can you expect to be an efficient member of our team when you can't even take care of yourself?" She looked affronted, but he continued anyway. "What are you?_ Twelve?_"

Indeed, Eva was offended by his words yet again. He knew exactly how to dampen her spirits even more. He had insulted her before by implying that she was not worthy of being on his team. So she trained. She trained bloody hard. She got sick because of that and now he was criticizing her again. Nothing she did was ever good enough. Nothing she did was right. She just couldn't seem to win with him!

She felt a stabbing pain in her heart but then again, it wasn't her first time to feel that. It wasn't her first time to feel so incompetent. It wasn't her first time to feel so useless.

And it certainly wasn't her first time to pretend like it didn't sting.

Without replying, she turned away from him. "Come on, Tracey..." she said, opening her umbrella. "We'll be late for Herbology."

Tracey shot Draco a dirty look before following Eva out. Millicent followed close behind along with a guilt-ridden Theodore.

Blaise just sighed. When were they ever going to just shut up and get along? All this drama was starting to piss _him_ off.

He retrieved a small umbrella from his bag and opened it. Blaise was about to walk out into the rain when he noticed his best friend was putting the hood of his robes up to cover his head.

"Where's your umbrella?" the dark-skinned boy asked curiously.

Draco shrugged. "Left it somewhere."

Without another word, the blonde ran ahead in the rain to the greenhouses.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Funnily enough, I was (and actually still am) sick when I was making this. I feel your pain, Eva. I feel your pain.**

**Anyhoo. **

**For those of you who are reading this chapter for the second time, I added some stuff, okay? Haha. :P**

**I like the little bit with the umbrella. I hope you liked it, too. ****If you'll notice, Draco's jerkiness is slowly decreasing now. Thank goodness. Even _I_ was starting to get pissed with the lines I wrote for him (if that even makes sense). HAHAHA. **

**And Daphne's damn sharp, isn't she? She's pretty mean, but you can tell she's kind of the smartest among them. Hoho. She's got the beauty AND the brains.**

**The next chapter is definitely something to look forward to. It's their first Quidditch match and, well, let's just say things won't be going as planned.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews! Especially to those who read my new story, "The Restricted Section", and then checked out this story. I was pleasantly surprised! :)**

**I'd love to hear more from all of you so don't be shy! Leave a review/comment. :)**


	16. The First Quidditch Match

**CHAPTER 16**  
><strong>"The First Quidditch Match"<strong>

"Go on, Eva. Take it!" Tracey said sternly. "You need that."

Millicent stopped eating her cereal and scowled. "Ugh! I feel sorry for you, Eva!" she exclaimed as she eyed the little grayish blue pill in the blonde's hand. "Things that come from Pomfrey always end up being disgusting."

Daphne, who was busy buttering her toast, rolled her eyes. "Anything that isn't _candy_ is disgusting for you."

Eva looked at the pill in her hand, one of the many gotten from the school nurse for her sickness, and grimaced. She grabbed her goblet, quickly popped the pill in her mouth and drank her water greedily. After finishing every drop of drink, she set her goblet down. She further grimaced as the pill left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

That was one of the reasons she hated being sick so much. Medicine just never sat well with her.

"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" the pony-tailed girl chuckled, patted the blonde's back and went back to her bacon and eggs.

Eva shot her friend a withering look and sniffed. "I've been taking this thing religiously for a while now, but it doesn't seem to be working." She sighed as she waited for her goblet to be refilled magically. Once her goblet was full of water again, she drank from it.

"Your cold hasn't gone away yet?" Theodore, who was seated right beside her, asked worriedly. "Do you need anything else? Do you want me to get you some more medicine? "

While Eva was sick, he was the one running errands, getting medicine from the hospital wing, new supplies of tissue paper and anything the blonde witch needed to feel better. No one really asked him to do anything actually. He just did it of his own accord. Theodore was just happy to help her out.

Eva shook her head. "No, no. I'm fine, Theodore." She smiled fondly at him despite the disgusting taste in her mouth. "You've done so much for me already. Thank you."

...and besides, the dark-haired boy delighted in the grateful smiles (much like that one) Eva would always flash him whenever he tried to help.

Theodore pinked a little and smiled back timidly before returning to his own breakfast.

"I didn't know you've gone and turned yourself into a house-elf," Pansy sneered. She was sitting in between Theodore and the other blonde in their group who was pointedly ignoring almost everyone on the table.

The dark-haired boy only shot her a glare.

Blaise watched his friend with amusement before spotting something in the corner of his eye. "Oh look," he said as he turned and saw owls approaching. "Mail's here."

Hundreds of owls arrived at the tables in the Great Hall, dropping mail into the laps of expectant students and teachers alike. It was always an interesting part for any student's day since some of them would receive sweets, cakes, clothes and other little gifts from their parents.

Millicent rejoiced when an owl dropped a package full of her favorite cakes onto her lap. Without sparing a thought, she quickly tore through the wrappings and indulged herself.

"Wun shum?" the chubby Slytherin said with a mouth full of cake as she extended some to her friends. The others just chuckled and shook their heads. Daphne reprimanded her once again for talking with her mouth full.

Tracey, however, was not as happy with her package. She groaned when she opened it. "Merlin, not another one!"

Eva coughed a little and tried to peek at what her friend received. "Why? What did you get?"

The pony-tailed girl wrinkled her nose in disgust. "A dress."

Millicent immediately burst out laughing, causing some of the cake from her mouth to come flying out.

"Again?" she laughed boisterously. "The thought of _Davis _in a _dress_ cracks me up every time!"

Pansy cocked an eyebrow at the chubby Slytherin. "As if _you've_ worn a dress before, Bulstrode." But Millicent just kept laughing and pounding her fists against the table.

Tracey sighed in exasperation as she took out a baby pink dress with white ribbons from her package. "My mother keeps sending me these frilly, lacy, girly dresses...but she's just wasting her time and money!" She grimaced at the gift in her hands. "I wouldn't be caught _dead_ wearing something like this!"

"I don't know, Tracey," the blonde witch chuckled as she pressed the dress against her friend. "I think pink actually looks good on you."

Tracey rolled her eyes but her lips quirked into a smile anyway. "Very funny, Eva." She sighed again and brusquely stuffed the dress back into the package. "Oh well. Guess this thing's going on sale like the others before it. I'm saving up for a new broom anyway."

Some students were lucky enough to get more expensive gifts such as a brand new broom. Somewhere in the Great Hall, students were crowding over a boy who had just received a Firebolt, the latest broomstick model.

Tracey turned her head at the commotion. "See that?" She looked on with envy. "Why couldn't my mother send me something like _that_ instead?"

Students would also get letters from relatives and friends, asking about their stay in Hogwarts, if they were doing okay, if they were having any difficulty with their subjects, if they were eating right or if they remembered to change their underwear every once in a while (much to the embarrassment of a certain redhead when his twin brothers read his letter out loud for their whole House to hear). Almost all the students got letters regularly.

_Almost_.

Her friends were ripping through envelopes and reading letters while Eva waited patiently for Noxx to come bringing a letter of her own. She had sent her parents letters regarding her getting into their Quidditch team and regarding her sickness, however, she had yet to receive a reply. The flock of owls came, caused a mess with their feathers (and droppings) and left...but none came delivering letters for her.

Tracey was shaking her head at her mother's letter nagging her about her choice of wardrobe, her obsession with Quidditch and anything that the middle-aged woman deemed to be "boyish" in the pony-tailed girl when she noticed her blonde friend was exceptionally quiet and devoid of mail.

"Still no letters?" she asked softly, folding her own letter away.

Eva merely nodded before plucking a feather from her plate and going back to eating breakfast.

Theodore looked at her sadly. Eva looked indifferent and uncaring on the outside, but he had a feeling she was hiding away the hurt she was feeling. After being best friends with one Draco Malfoy for years, he had learned to sense these things. And he never did like seeing his friends so down. "It's okay, Eva. Maybe they're just busy with work or something..."

"What are you talking about?" Millicent piped in as she finished up her cakes. "It's not that hard to pick up a quill and write a short letter!"

Daphne rolled her eyes again. "You're not helping, Millicent."

Over on the other side of the table, Blaise was browsing through the latest issue of The Golden Wizard, the business magazine he was subscribing to, while Pansy was busy looking at the newest fashion trends in her own teen witch magazine.

Draco was reading another letter from his parents reminding him yet again about his class standing and about some sort of ball they'd be having during the Christmas break when he heard the three Chasers talking. He chanced a look at his fellow blonde. Then just as quickly, he returned his gaze to his letter. His mind, however, was no longer on the parchment in his hands.

_"No mail again, huh, Bellator?" _he thought to himself.

He was instantly reminded of the coaching sessions he had with the witch, particularly the one involving their little talk about parent issues. She had told him her parents weren't really the writing type.

He frowned. _"Yeah, I can see that."_

Tracey continued to look at her friend with concern. "You gonna be okay?"

Eva stopped and looked thoughtful for a while. Then, a small smile appeared on her face. "Yeah," she replied. "I think I will be." She chuckled slightly and sniffed again. "I guess I can't expect them to write to me all the time, right?" She looked her friends in the eye, a bit of warmth back in her own gray ones. "I shouldn't be easily disheartened by such a silly thing as not getting mail. I've got far more important things to worry about, like our first Quidditch match."

The pony-tailed girl smiled in relief. "That's right, Eva. So you better focus on getting well soon!"

Eva chuckled. Then, she stole a quick glance at the blonde boy on the other side of the table. "And besides," she added as she casually went back to her breakfast. "Someone once told me I had it good."

Draco looked up from his letter.

"The less nagging letters, the better, right?"

Draco's gray eyes immediately snapped back to Eva but the girl kept her own eyes on her plate. He looked at her in slight astonishment and wonder. She had remembered. She had _actually_ remembered and taken their talk to heart. He didn't really expect her to...not after their fights. He continued to stare at her but seeing that she pointedly avoided eye contact with him, he went back to "reading his letter".

_"Bellator actually took it to heart," _he thought with slight disbelief.

Meanwhile, Blaise, although seemingly engrossed in his magazines, did not miss the change in the expression on his best friend's face. His dark brows furrowed. What was that all about?

The conversation on their table went back to normal. Little did the Slytherins know, Eva was glad to have the spotlight taken from her. Her friends didn't really need to concern themselves with her problems. They didn't need to see her depressed. She meant what she had said. She wasn't going to brood over not receiving letters from her parents. She was aware that it wasn't supposed to be something that would throw her into a state of depression...but that didn't change the fact that it still_ hurt_.

Eva had just finished her breakfast when she felt something lightly bump against her arm. She turned her head and saw a small piece of paper folded into the shape of a bird floating beside her and nudging her arm. Eva looked around the hall to see who could've sent it to her, but no one seemed to be looking at her or at the floating paper bird. She took it, unfolded it and read the message.

_"Please meet me outside the Great Hall now."_

Eva looked around the hall a second time but still saw no one who took any interest in her or in the paper bird.

Theodore was shoveling food into his mouth when he turned to the blonde witch and saw the piece of paper. "Whatcha got there, Eva?" he asked.

"Hmm...nothing." The blonde witch quickly stuffed the note in her pocket. "I just remembered...I've gotta go do something."

She bid farewell to her friends and walked off, not noticing that a pair of gray eyes were intently watching her leave. Upon stepping out of the hall, she looked around for anyone who appeared to be waiting for her. The corridor, however, was empty.

She was about to walk back into the Great Hall when she saw another paper bird float towards her. She smiled as it playfully flew around her twice before floating off into a different corridor. Intrigued, Eva followed it and soon found herself in a narrower and more secluded corridor. After a while, she started to think twice about following the paper bird. Some stalker could be luring her there to do Merlin knows what...or worse! She might find the criminal, Sirius Black, there waiting for her, eager to spill blood just like in the grim stories people told about him.

Eva was just about to turn back when the paper bird suddenly flew behind a column and into someone's hand.

She stopped in her tracks and brought out her wand.

"Who's there?" she asked brusquely, getting ready to hex the person should he or she prove to be a foe. Her brave demeanor was ruined, however, by a series of coughing.

The person peeked from behind the column and Eva was greeted with familiar hazel eyes and brown bushy hair.

The blonde sighed in relief. "Oh, Hermione," she chuckled lightly as she put her wand away. "It's just you."

The Gryffindor looked taken aback at first from having a wand pointed at her (since she wasn't exactly over the fact that not long ago, a blonde boy did the same thing) but stepped away from her hiding place anyway.

"Sorry about that," Eva, approaching the brunette, timidly smiled. "I thought you were, well, some stalker or something..."

Hermione blinked. "Ohhh..." she chuckled, finally seeing the misunderstanding she had caused. "Guess I can't blame you for thinking that, now can I?" She looked around the dank corridor and laughed at her silliness. It was poorly lit and hardly anyone passed by it. It really did look like a place shady people frequented. With a flick of her own wand, Hermione further illuminated the corridor. "Sorry for bringing you here without making myself known in the note."

She walked towards the blonde and wore an uneasy smile on her face. "To be honest, I was worried that your Housemates might read the letter. I didn't want you to get into trouble with them. That's why I left it unsigned."

Eva was about to assure the brunette that it was okay even if they read the note with her signature, but then she realized that would just be plain lying. The only people in her group who probably wouldn't mind reading it would be Tracey and Theodore. The rest of her friends would most probably detest both her and the Gryffindor for their new-found friendship.

Eva didn't mind being friends with Hermione at all and she could tell the brunette didn't mind their friendship either. Realistically speaking, however, _their_ other Housemates might not be as receptive to the idea of friendship between the two rival Houses. And Hermione was well aware of that, too.

The blonde offered her a sympathetic smile. She then coughed a little and cleared her throat. "So did you want to talk to me about something?"

"Oh yeah," Hermione smiled widely. "I believe congratulations are in order. Harry told me you're the Slytherin team's newest Chaser."

"Oh, yes, thank you." Eva chuckled again as she leaned against the stone wall and sniffed. "I'm not sure how long that'll last though. Our first match is coming up and I'm sick as a dog."

"I heard about that, too."

The blonde raised an eyebrow amusedly. "Really?"

"You'd be surprised how competitive people get when it comes to Quidditch." Hermione laughed. "Fred and George Weasley have been researching on the opposing team's players. So far, we know that Miles Bletchley likes to sleep in teddy bear pajamas, Theodore Nott's deathly allergic to peanut butter, and Lucian Bole has never had a girlfriend...probably since all the girls run away _scared_ from him. How those two come upon such information is beyond me."

Eva laughed along. "That's amazing. Slightly creepy...but amazing."

"They also found out about you being sick."

"Yes...I think with all the coughing and sneezing I've been doing, it's common knowledge already." The blonde sniffed a couple more times before sighing. "I want to do well during our first match but I won't be able to play unless I get better."

Hermione's smile grew even more. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." The brunette rummaged through her bag for something. "I've tried wizard medicine before whenever I got sick but sometimes it just doesn't get the job done."

Eva let out a huff of frustration. "Tell me about it." She coughed again.

"But here's something that really does the trick for me." The Gryffindor took out a dark bottle with a white cap and label from her bag. "It's muggle medicine."

The blonde witch looked from Hermione to the bottle in her hand, then back to Hermione again. "You...you brought me medicine?" she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

"It's really effective and it's cherry flavored, too!" Hermione paused and looked at Eva awkwardly. "But I understand if you're not completely fine with taking muggle medicine..."

"No, no, it's not that." Eva flashed her a reassuring smile. "It's just that...I never thought that you'd...and I'm on the opposing team so...I don't get why..."

Finally understanding what the blonde was trying to say, Hermione smiled back and placed the bottle in the girl's hands. "I still haven't forgotten what you've done for me. So I want to return the favor."

Eva looked at the bottle in her hands before saying, "But I never expected you to..."

"It's alright, Eva. Really, it is." Hermione chuckled lightly. "Like I said, I _want_ to return the favor."

The blonde's lips curled into a smile again. "Alright...thank you for this." She carefully placed the bottle in her bag. "I'll give it a try."

* * *

><p>"Eva!" Theodore called out as he hovered on his broom at the center of the Quidditch pitch. "You sure you should be doing this already?"<p>

He watched the blonde witch zoom around the pitch with an exceptionally bright smile on her face.

"I can't believe how much I missed flying around on my broom!" she shouted back as she flew in between the spectator towers.

He shook his head and chuckled to himself. After a while, the blonde flew back to the center. Her short blonde hair was fairly disheveled, her cheeks were infinitely rosy and her face had a huge smile plastered on it. In short, in Theodore's eyes, she looked positively radiant. The dark-haired boy had to keep himself from staring too long at her. This was one of the reasons why he liked training with her so much. Exercise was definitely the girl's friend.

"Are you really sure you're fine now?" he asked again, trying to keep his goofy smile in check.

"I feel terrific, Theodore!" she said cheerfully. "Never better!"

Eva had indeed tried the muggle medicine Hermione had given her. She had been carefully following the instructions on the bottle and had been taking the medicine regularly for two days and it worked like a charm. She woke up yesterday feeling like she had never been sick at all. Gone were the days of coughs that racked her whole body, of mountains of used tissue, of feverish nights, and of being cooped up in the hospital wing during weekends. She immediately sent Hermione a thank you note which was replied to in this way:

_"You're most welcome! Just don't tell anyone where you got the medicine. Wouldn't want the whole Gryffindor team to send hexes down my way for helping 'the enemy'. Good luck during the match and may the best team win!"_

The blonde spent the whole of yesterday resting up (since Tracey forbade her to train right after getting well). And now that she really was well enough to get back on her broom and prepare for their match, she was just plain happy. Nothing could sully her day.

She and Theodore spent the rest of the afternoon training. They passed Quaffles around while in formation and while performing difficult flying maneuvers. The dark-haired boy could tell she had greatly improved in terms of working with other team members. With another skilled Chaser on their team, he had a feeling the next match was in the bag. He shared these sentiments with the blonde while they rested on the stands, making Eva happier than she already was.

"Tell me, Theodore," the girl said, grinning at him. "You're an awesome Keeper and I bet you'd make a fantastic Beater. Have you ever considered trying out for the other positions?"

Theodore smiled back up at her. He was lazily reclined against his seat while Eva sat straight beside him. From where they were seated, they could see a dark and thick expanse of trees that could only be the Forbidden Forest. Every once in a while, a large black creature flew around above the trees. They thought it was some kind of huge bird.

"Actually, no, not really." The dark-haired boy chuckled and stretched his arms out. "Personally, I think that being a Chaser is _the_ best position on the team! I mean, sure, the Seeker's like the most popular position. But being a Chaser's something else."

Eva rested her head in her hands and listened to him intently. She was always fascinated with the way the boy's dark eyes would come alive whenever he talked about Quidditch. His passion for the sport was simply adorable.

"As a Chaser you have to work extra hard!" he continued enthusiastically as he sat up straight. "Your team's score mainly rests on you since a team can't just rely on their Seeker to catch the Snitch. You have to learn by heart every formation, every tactic, every strength and weakness of the opposing team's Chasers and Keeper! You have to learn how to work well with your fellow Chasers as well. It's all about teamwork, you know, which is probably the most difficult part." He smiled brightly. "But I think that's also what makes being a Chaser so great!"

Eva smiled fondly at him. "You really love this, don't you?"

"More than anything!" he answered happily, eyes brimming with energy.

The blonde chuckled. "You're so adorable like that, Theodore."

Having heard the compliment, Theodore instantly blushed. He chuckled as he scratched his head from embarrassment.

Eva then stood up, bringing her broom with her. "Come on then!" she said, still smiling and extending her free hand to the boy. "Our first match is coming up and we'd best be ready for it!"

Still red in the face, Theodore stared at the slender hand in front of him before happily taking it and pulling himself up. He made a mental note of how soft the blonde witch's hand was and how great it would be to hold onto it _every_ minute of _every_ day.

* * *

><p>Even inside the Slytherin tent, the cheers from the crowd on the stands were almost deafening. The voice of Lee Jordan, the Quidditch commentator, could be heard talking about the <em>foreboding<em> weather, the huge turn out for the Gryffindor-Slytherin match (the first match of the year) and Angelina Johnson's new haircut which he appeared to fancy. Professor McGonagall could later be heard in the background scolding him for that last part.

The Slytherin Quidditch team was huddled together in their tent for last minute instructions from their team captain but Eva was so distracted, she had tuned out half of the instructions Draco was imparting to them. She had been training doubly hard for this day...but no amount of training could prepare her for the anxiety that she was now feeling. This was it, her first Quidditch match...and it was against the Gryffindors, their rival House. Her heart pounded heavily against her chest and her palms started to sweat. She seemed to be the only one nervous on their team. Not even the stand-in Beater, Peregrine Derrick, who was rather large and stoic, showed any sign of nervousness...or _emotion_ for that matter.

"Remember, focus on your jobs," Draco sternly said, breaking Eva away from her thoughts. "Don't go pulling off stunts and showing off if it will just mess up our routine. Just do your job and do it well."

The blonde boy looked at his teammates. His fellow blonde looked serious. Her forehead was creased and she fidgeted with her Quidditch gloves. He could tell she was trying to hide her nervousness.

He turned to his Beaters."Derrick. Bole. Remember who you're supposed to be keeping the Bludgers away from. Derrick, you're keeping them away from me and Nott. Bole, you're watching over Bletchley, Davis and Bellator. Got that?"

The two large Beaters grunted in reply.

Then Draco's eyes landed on Lucian Bole...and he found himself disturbed. There was a strange look in the buff boy's eyes...and the boy was smiling. Lucian Bole was bloody _smiling_...but the smile on his face was far from being the friendly sort. Before Draco could delve deeper into it, however, the trumpets sounded outside.

It was time to step out of the comfort of their tent.

Bletchley, Bole and Derrick were the first to exit the tent and fly up on their brooms.

"Good luck out there, Eva!" Tracey quickly gave the blonde witch a hug before following their teammates out.

Theodore gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, alright?" he smiled warmly down at the blonde witch. "Just have fun with it!"

Eva chuckled slightly. "I'll do my best."

The dark-haired boy threw her a wink before turning to his best friend. "Good luck, mate! See you outside."

Draco gave him a curt nod and Theodore left the tent, leaving the two blondes inside.

But Eva was too busy calming herself down to pay her fellow blonde any attention. Her heart was now pounding faster and harder against her ribs. Her palms were profusely sweating now, too. She wiped them on her uniform for fear of later losing her grip on her broom or on the Quaffle. Her nervousness during her Quidditch tryouts was nowhere near what she was feeling at that moment as she stared at the flaps of the tent separating her from the crowd outside and the Quidditch pitch she had long been practicing on.

"Time to go." Draco suddenly stepped beside her. "Don't mess up," he gruffly said, looking straight ahead.

Eva turned to him but before she could reply, he continued, "Don't be nervous. Trust your teammates and trust in your abilities." He said it in a firm but gentler tone that caught her off guard. Was it just her imagination or did Draco just try to comfort her?

With that, he exited the tent and flew up on his broom.

The witch shook her head. This was no time to try and understand the inner workings of Draco Malfoy's mind. This was it! Time to face their opponents. Time to put all her training to good use.

Gripping her broom tightly, she jogged out of the tent and mounted her broom. In a second, the blonde witch was beside her teammates and surrounded by hundreds of people from Hogwarts, some cheering, some jeering and some shouting to them. Across the pitch, Eva could see the Gryffindor team hovering on their brooms as well. Harry Potter was in the middle of their team. She gave him a curt nod which he was respectful enough to return.

She then looked over to the Slytherin stands. She spotted a huge banner saying "I love Draco" being waved around by none other than Pansy. Beside the short-haired girl were their other friends: Millicent, who promised she'd paint her face green and silver for the game; Daphne, who scowled at the rowdy students beside her; and Blaise, who was calm and collected as usual. Over on the Gryffindor stands, Eva easily spotted a red-haired boy who was shouting and cheering for his team. Beside him was a bushy-haired girl who caught her eye and smiled up at her. The blonde smiled back slightly before returning her attention to the pitch.

The strong wind beat against the players and the sky was a heavy gray, reflecting the tension between the two teams and the anxiety felt by a particular blonde witch.

"With a new Chaser, a new Keeper and a stand-in Beater, can the Slytherin team even keep up with the amazing Gryffindors?" Lee Jordan scoffed, his voice echoing around the pitch. Professor McGonagall ended up reprimanding him again for his biased comments.

Madam Hooch flew to the center of the pitch with all four Quidditch balls in her arms.

_"This is it..."_ Eva thought to herself as she breathed out slowly. _"Don't lose your nerve."_

"I want a nice clean game now!" the gray-haired woman said strictly. She scrutinized each team with her hawk-like eyes before finally tossing the balls up in the air, officially starting the Gryffindor-Slytherin match. The crowds went wild as the Golden Snitch immediately zoomed away from sight and the Bludgers started flying towards the players, prompting the Beaters to start chasing after them.

The Quaffle, on the other hand, was in the air and up for grabs. Theodore and Angelina Johnson immediately flew in to catch it. The latter, however, got to it first and made a quick turn towards the Slytherin goal posts. The other two Chasers of the Gryffindor team quickly flanked the girl's sides while the Slytherin team's Chasers flew in pursuit of the Quaffle. Once at the scoring area, Angelina threw the Quaffle at Slytherin's leftmost goal post but luckily, Bletchley was able to block it in time. He then threw the Quaffle back into play and Tracey caught it.

It was the Slytherin team's turn.

Theodore gave the signal for the Hawkshead Attacking Formation. The pony-tailed girl quickly flew upward while Theodore and Eva flew to her bottom left and right. The three zoomed towards the Gryffindor goal posts in a triangular formation while the Gryffindors tried to steal the Quaffle away. Katie Bell flew towards Tracey with the intention to smack the ball out of the pony-tailed girl's hand, but Tracey swiftly threw it to Eva who successfully caught it. This time, Alicia Spinnet came flying towards the blonde but, as the Slytherin trio approached the scoring area, Eva quickly passed the ball to Theodore who, in turn, threw it at the opposing team's center goal post. The Quaffle flew in the air and Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Keeper, zoomed in to block it, but he was too late. The ball went right through the hoop, issuing Slytherin the first ten points for the game.

The Slytherins at the stands went wild. Their House's drummers beat against their drums feverishly and the sea of green and silver students shouted their cheers, waving their flaglets and banners around. Eva and Tracey gave the dark-haired boy a high five before the three flew back into position.

Meanwhile, Bole and Derrick kept their eyes on the Bludgers. At one instant, Bole hit the Bludger towards Katie Bell. It hit the girl's broom, causing her to whirl out of control and drop the Quaffle she was holding onto. Tracey quickly caught the free ball and scored another ten points for their team. Derrick was also able to prevent a Bludger from hitting Theodore square on the head.

Draco, on the other hand, continued to hover on his broom as he kept an eye out for both the Snitch and his bespectacled rival. He was annoyed to find that Harry was just as vigilant and he further frowned when he watched Alicia Spinnet successfully score for her team. They had lost to the Gryffindors the previous year, much to the blonde boy's tremendous frustration, but he wasn't about to let that happen again. He waited patiently for the Golden Snitch to show itself.

Theodore gave the signal for a Woollongong Shimmy, the zigzag flying tactic, and his fellow Chasers nodded in reply. At that time, the dark-haired boy had the Quaffle with him while Eva and Tracey flew to his left and to his right respectively. Their tactic was effective in confusing the opposing Chasers but Angelina Johnson was quick to work through it. She sped directly towards Theodore, targeting the Quaffle in his possession. Thinking quickly, Theodore shouted, "Eva!" He threw the ball to his left and the blonde caught it. With a determined look in her gray eyes, Eva then zoomed towards the scoring area. She held onto the Quaffle firmly.

This was her moment.

Upon reaching the area, the blonde witch made a move to throw the ball at the leftmost goal post. Oliver Wood made a swift turn to said goal post but, to his surprise and dismay, Eva swerved to the right and threw it towards the rightmost one, earning Slytherin ten points yet again. The Slytherin crowd cheered louder.

"Yes!" Eva exclaimed, thrusting a fist up in the air.

She had done it! She had actually scored for their team!

Lee Jordan whistled a low tune. "Guess it looks like the new Slytherin Chaser's got game," he said. "Oi! Wood! Better watch out for Malfoy's twin!"

Tracey and Theodore flew towards the blonde witch. "Well done, Eva!" Tracey said, patting her friend's shoulder.

"Good job!" Theodore grinned widely. "Having fun now?"

Eva nodded happily and the boy chuckled. "Wicked!" Then he smirked and turned his eyes back onto the opposing team. "Now then...let's go show them what Slytherins are made of!"

An hour into the game, the Slytherins were in the lead with 100 points while the Gryffindors had 50 points. The Golden Snitch was still nowhere to be found.

"Wake up, Gryffindors!" Lee Jordan shouted. "Don't let those slimy Slyther-" Professor McGonagall shot him a dark look. "I mean...don't let the Slytherins get too far ahead!"

Katie Bell scored again for their team. The Gryffindors cheered louder while the Slytherins booed and heckled the other team's players.

"You guys doing okay?" Theodore asked as he flew beside his fellow Chasers.

The two girls nodded but a bit of exhaustion was now starting to show on their faces.

"Pace yourselves. We've still got a long way to go." He turned and spotted the Gryffindor Chasers speeding right towards them. Tracey had the Quaffle so he turned back to his teammates. "Alright, time for the Porskoff Ploy!"

Tracey nodded and flew straight upward with the ball while Katie Bell followed her. Eva got into her position and waited for Tracey to drop the Quaffle she would be catching. They had practiced this tactic many times. She had messed up the first time they tried it during Quidditch practices, but after much training, she had finally mastered it.

Eva waited patiently for the drop when she suddenly heard Theodore shout.

"Eva! Watch out!"

Surprised, the blonde witch turned and saw a Bludger speeding right towards her. She tried to fly out of the way but she was too late. The Bludger hit her left arm hard, causing her to nearly fall off her broom right then and there. Fortunately, she was able to keep her grip on her broom while the Bludger went flying off to hit another player.

Lee Jordan whistled again. "That must've hurt!"

Eva winced in pain as she held onto her bruised arm and tried to balance herself on her broom. Helplessly, she watched Angelina Johnson catch the dropped Quaffle and score for the Gryffindor team.

Theodore immediately flew beside Eva.

"Are you okay, Eva? Are you okay?" he asked, panic present in his deep voice. "Did it break your arm?"

"I-I don't know," the blonde said through gritted teeth. She had a pained expression on her face. "I think it might have..."

The dark-haired boy quickly went from looking worried to looking murderous. He frantically looked around the pitch. "BOLE!" he shouted. He felt his blood boil even more when he saw, hovering to his left, the buff Slytherin boy smirking at them. He zoomed towards the Beater.

"What the hell, Bole!" he shouted once he was near the buff boy. "You were supposed to keep the Bludger away from her!"

But all Bole did was continue to look smug. "Oops," he said in a sickeningly innocent tone.

Theodore looked at him in a mixture of disbelief and anger. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you today?"

"You know what, Nott? If I were you, I'd worry more about scoring than about some blondie," Bole sneered, tilting his head towards the Gryffindor Chasers. "Look, they're catching up."

It took Theodore all of his self-control to not punch the other boy's lights out. With a final glare, Theodore flew back to check up on Eva who was now being helped by an equally worried Tracey.

From where he was hovering, Draco saw everything that had transpired. The scowl on his face darkened. Bellator looked badly hurt. He could tell the Bludger had done some major damage on her arm. He narrowed his eyes. What was going on? Lucian Bole was one of the most skilled Beaters the blonde had ever seen. A slip up like that was simply beneath the boy. It looked like an accident...but the smug look on Bole's face said otherwise. What exactly was he up to?

He was about to fly towards the Beater when, in the corner of his eye, he saw something glisten to his right. Instinctively, he immediately knew what it was. He turned his head and there, darting around in the air, was the one ball he'd been waiting for - the Golden Snitch. Draco gripped his broom tightly. _"Here we go."_

Just as the Snitch zoomed off, the blonde boy dove in pursuit, eyes locked on the ball that could seal their victory. Soon after, however, Harry Potter came flying right behind him with his emerald eyes focused on the Snitch as well. Draco heard the bespectacled boy coming in from behind so he sped up.

"What's this? The Snitch has been spotted!" Lee Jordan announced excitedly.

The head of each and every person on the stands turned to watch the two Seekers flying around at top speed, following a ball too fast for the spectators to see. Draco and Harry skillfully flew in between spectator towers as the Snitch tried to shake them off. The two were neck and neck.

The Slytherin Chasers watched their team captain in action. Then they heard the Gryffindor Chasers score again.

"Come on, guys. I'm fine," Eva said, wincing a bit as she let go of her left arm. "We've still got a game to finish."

The other two chasers looked at their friend with matching worried expressions on their faces but Eva looked at them sternly. "Injury or no injury, the game's still on. Come on!"

Hesitantly, Tracey and Theodore nodded and went back to pursuing the Quaffle. Eva watched her fellow Chasers steal the Quaffle from the other team and score again. Her left arm hurt really bad, but she needed to get back out there.

The blonde witch breathed out slowly and tried to will the pain away. She replaced her left hand on her broom but immediately regretted doing so upon contact. She hissed as pain shot through her arm like lightning.

Something was _definitely_ broken.

She glanced at Bole and was taken aback by the smug look on his face. What was that about anyway? She shrugged it off before gingerly tucking her left arm into her Quidditch robes and flying off with just one hand on her broom. Her injured arm was constantly jostled due to the difficult flying techniques they would employ, making her wince in pain every now and then. Scoring was just as difficult and just as painful but she was able to manage.

The Slytherin team was still leading by a couple of points. Eva stopped for a while to check on their captain. Draco and Harry were still at it. She watched them fly dangerously close to the ground and then make a swift turn upwards, flying towards the sky. The two were so close to each other, it could be anyone's game now.

The blonde witch then brought her attention back to her job. She saw Theodore fly around with the Quaffle clutched to his side while both Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson tailed him. The dark-haired boy struggled to guard the ball from the two Gryffindors so Eva quickly flew to his aid. She positioned herself behind him and shouted, "Theodore!"

The boy heard the call and executed a Reverse Pass, throwing the ball over his shoulder and to Eva. The blonde witch shakily caught the Quaffle. She hissed again as the ball bumped against her left arm. The two Gryffindor Chasers made a swift U-turn towards her and Eva flew off towards Tracey, who was also being followed by another Gryffindor Chaser.

Meanwhile, Draco chased the Snitch like his life depended on it. The Snitch was wicked fast, but he would be damned before he let it get away from him. The Golden ball made a sudden turn towards the spectator towers again and he turned with it. His bespectacled rival was right beside him, but the blonde was now ahead by just a little bit. This time, _he_ would be the one to catch the Snitch. _He_ would be the one to lead his team to victory. His father would be so proud...

The Snitch was mere inches away from him now. He stretched his arm out. Draco was so close, he could almost touch it.

Likewise, Eva was quickly closing the gap between her and Tracey, who was also flying towards the blonde witch to receive the Quaffle. She was almost there. Eva was just about to throw the ball when she saw the pony-tailed girl's facial expression go from focused to panicked. At the same time, she heard Theodore's voice shouting out her name again with alarm and she immediately knew what was going on.

She looked back and saw another Bludger closing in on her.

Eva hastily threw the Quaffle to Tracey before swerving to the right towards the spectator towers. She swiftly flew in between them in an attempt to shake the Bludger off. When she dared to look back again, however, she saw that the Bludger was still right behind her and was now much closer to her. She started to panic as she frantically tried to shake it off but to no avail. She was more vulnerable now. She was holding onto her broom with only _one_ hand and was flying dangerously high above the ground. Should the Bludger hit her a second time, there was no telling what would happen to her. She could still hear Theodore calling out to her in the distance and the crowd gasping as they watched her narrowly escape being hit by the Bludger several times.

"This is a pretty off day for the newest Slytherin Chaser," Lee Jordan chuckled. "Malfoy's twin appears to have turned into a Bludger_ magnet!_"

Some people laughed along.

When Eva looked back a third time, however, she was surprised to find that the Bludger was gone. She sighed in relief, but just when she decided to go back to position, the Bludger snuck up on her from the right and struck her broom hard, breaking the front part of the broom and causing her to careen away from the Quidditch pitch and off bounds. The Bludger flew back to the pitch but the impact sent Eva spinning on her broom, farther away from the pitch.

"Oooh!" She heard Lee Jordan exclaim in the distance. "Bellator is out of the game! Tough nuts."

She tried to regain control of her broom but there was only so much she could do with one good arm. The world was spinning round and round and she thought she was going to be sick...until she saw something black cross her line of sight.

At first she thought she had just imagined it, but once she was able to steady her broom, something black quickly darted to her left again. She looked around for whatever it was she saw, gingerly tucking her injured arm further into her robes. She winced from the pain again. Then she noticed something strange. Everything suddenly seemed silent around her. She could no longer hear Lee Jordan's commentary from the pitch, nor the cheering of the crowd (even though the pitch was still in sight). All she could hear was her heavy breathing. Everything was dead still.

Something wasn't right.

She could see her warm breath clouding in front of her face. The beads of sweat dripping from her forehead were slowly hardening against her skin. She involuntarily shivered though there was no wind beating against her.

It was cold.

Then, in the midst of the eerie silence, she heard something flutter behind her. She quickly turned around on her broom. Her eyes widened with what she saw. Her blood ran ice cold.

Looming before her was a tall and dark creature with a black hooded cloak, its decaying hand stretched out towards her. She stared right into where she thought its face should be but saw only an abyss that seemed to go on and on. Two more creatures appeared beside her and she suddenly felt weaker, as if the life was being sucked out of her. Her vision started to grow dark and she thought she heard a girl's voice crying.

And finally, she understood what the creatures were.

She willed herself to look away, told herself to get away and fast...before it was too late. She had read about these dark creatures and heard about them from professors. Her tutor had also taught her how to defend herself...but it was really only in theory. They had never actually done any practicing for obvious reasons. She wasn't sure she could successfully produce a Patronus charm and she wasn't about to risk her life just to check if she could.

She turned and flew away from them as fast as she could, mentally begging her broom to go faster. Eva looked back only to see that the hooded creatures were right behind her, their dark and ripped cloaks fluttering about in the wind as they sped towards their prey. She looked frantically for a nearby place to hide or to run to. The castle was still a long way from where she was and the creatures were between her and the Quidditch pitch. Then she spotted a familiar dark forest. The Forbidden Forest was far from being the best place to run to but it was the nearest to her. She hoped the trees could help her shake the creatures off.

In the corner of her eye, she saw two or three more of these creatures fly beside her. Panic escalated in the blonde witch. Desperate and afraid, she sped towards the forest, hoping and praying that she would somehow lose them in it.

She sped in between trees, praying that her flying skills would not fail her this time. Just one miscalculation and she could end up crashing into a tree and dooming herself to becoming an empty shell once the dark creatures were done with her. Branches and twigs cut against her robes and her face but she wasn't about to slow down. Not for a second. She didn't need to look back to know that the creatures were still right behind her. Eva's insides felt like they were frozen and her right hand, the only one keeping her on her broom, was starting to go numb from the cold. Worst of all, the feelings of hopelessness and despair were growing with every passing second. She could tell they were close. Very close.

Eva quickly swerved to her left to try and shake them off again but another hooded creature came out from the darkness of the forest. Unfortunately, the blonde was taken by surprise and consequently lost her grip on her broom. She was violently thrown from it and she landed hard on the ground. She groaned as pain shot through her whole body. But she couldn't stay down for long. She needed to keep moving.

She knew she had to somehow get away when she heard the fluttering of cloaks draw near, but her broom was nowhere to be found. The only thing she could do now was fight back. Her heart beat wildly against her chest as she fumbled for her wand. She took it out and shakily aimed it at the dark creatures before her. They were all towering over her, their decayed hands stretched out. The mere sight of them made her blood curdle.

She frantically racked her brain for ideas. What had her tutor told her? Concentrate on a happy memory? Eva greatly struggled to think of happy events that had happened recently now that the creatures were attacking her once more, their hands almost coming into contact with her. Happy memories? She thought of her first day at Hogwarts, meeting her new friends, making the Slytherin Quidditch team...

Eva prayed those memories would be enough.

She parted her dry, quivering lips. "Expecto...Patronum!"

Silvery mist escaped from her wand and the closest hooded creature stopped in its tracks to feed off the shield. However, it was not enough. Her non-corporeal Patronus lasted only for a few seconds. After the last traces of it were gone, the creatures came upon her once more. Eva tried the incantation again but failed to conjure another Patronus as despair grew stronger in her. There was nothing else she could do...so she used all her remaining energy to crawl away, fighting back the pain in her left arm...just to try and escape...to hide anywhere...

But it was no use.

In just a second, the tall creatures had surrounded her, taking turns in consuming the fight she had left in her. She felt all her remaining hope be drained away. It was painfully slow, like the creatures were relishing her suffering. Eva's limbs collapsed and she let herself fall to the ground as her despair grew even stronger.

Somewhere in her head, she heard the voice of a girl again. It was crying.

Eva wanted to scream but she was left breathless, as if the air had suddenly been knocked out of her lungs. With her last ounce of strength, she turned herself over to face what she had decided was her end. The hooded creatures mouths were slowly getting closer and closer to her face. Her consciousness was slipping away and darkness slowly shrouded her vision.

She could still hear crying. It grew louder and louder before it turned into desperate begging and shouting...and then silence.

Then suddenly, Eva was blinded by a great white light that surrounded her and the creatures. She knew not whence it came. All she knew was that immediately after, she heard the cloaks of the dark creatures flutter away one by one and she felt the warmth slowly return to her numbed fingers. The white light lasted for a few more seconds, bathing her in a comforting warmth and chasing away the remaining creatures, before fading away and restoring the darkness in the forest.

She was left lying alone on the ground...weak and spent, like the life had just been sucked out of her. The hooded creatures were gone but in the corner of her eye, she saw a different kind of creature...a strange glowing one.

Just before succumbing to unconsciousness, she slowly turned her head to make out its shape.

And there, slithering among the trees, appearing to be made from wisps of mist, was a corporeal Patronus in the shape of a serpentine creature, much like a dragon.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is one of the chapters I've been dying to finish. I read up on Dementors before posting this. Scary creatures they are. Just thinking about the previous scene kinda gave me the creeps. I hope I was able to describe Eva's terrifying experience with them well. I'm hoping some parts creeped you out, too. Hahaha. If they did, then mission accomplished.**

**Also, I left another mystery for you. When Harry Potter got attacked by a dementor in the 3rd book (while on the train), he heard a woman's scream. Eva, on the other hand, heard a girl crying. What's the story behind that? We shall seeeee. :P**

**Special thanks to Alphenawolf for wishing me well! I am feeling much better now, thank you. :) I'm just sorry I couldn't post this chapter sooner.**

**Thanks to all the reviews and for waiting patiently for my chapters. I look forward to hearing more from you so please do leave a review. :)**


	17. Thank You

**CHAPTER 17  
><strong>**"Thank You"**

Eva frantically crawled on the cold, hard ground of a dark forest. She dared not look behind her. She could hear the fluttering of cloaks and she knew she had to get away. The forest was silent, except for her panting and the crunching of autumn leaves beneath her wounded body.

_"Help! Someone help me!"_

She tried to scream, but no sound would leave her mouth. She saw her broom a few meters from her. It was broken in several places but it was still useable. The blonde witch mustered all her strength to crawl towards it. That was her only means of escaping a fate worse than death.

The fluttering sound grew closer.

She was close to reaching her broom. Just a little more and she'd have it in her hand. But then suddenly, a hooded creature flew in between her and the broom. Fear racked her whole body and she found herself unable to move, unable to look away from the fearsome sight before her. The creature towered over her menacingly, its cloak pouring down over its decayed-looking body like black smoke. She could tell it was looking down at her hungrily although it had no face.

_"Someone...please...help..."_

Before she could will her body to move, it came upon her, greedily absorbing her life force and feeding on every happy memory and feeling. Eva felt weaker and weaker with each passing second...and, as she felt herself slowly waste away, she heard a strange sound.

Someone was crying..._wailing_...long and hard. Then the crying turned to begging...incessant and desperate. Then, just as the hooded creature engulfed her in complete darkness, she heard a scream.

Eva sat up abruptly from her bed. Her breathing was heavy and beads of sweat dripped down the side of her pale face.

"Eva!" said a familiar male voice beside her. "You're awake!"

The blonde quickly turned her head and saw a dark-haired boy standing right beside her bed with a concerned look all over his face.

"Theodore?" she asked weakly, unsure whether she was actually seeing her friend or it was all just some kind of illusion.

She made a move to touch him, but she winced as pain suddenly shot through her left arm. She looked at it and saw that it was in a sling. Her other arm had small bandages on it, too, as with her face, and in place of her uniform was a hospital gown. She panicked when she noticed that her uniform was nowhere to be found. Quickly, she felt through the fabric of the gown for her gray stone and was relieved to find that it was still there, safe and sound hanging from its chain around her neck.

"You should lie down again. Don't worry," Theodore said calmly, gently urging her back down. "You're in the school's hospital wing. You're safe now."

Eva's fair head landed softly on her pillow but she never once took her eyes off her friend's face. She was still afraid that he might suddenly disappear should she look elsewhere. "...safe?" she repeated.

Theodore's lips curled into a frown as he sat down on a chair beside the girl's bed. "Y-Yeah..." he replied uneasily. "You were attacked by...by Dementors."

The blonde's eyes widened as everything started coming back to her. Getting hit by the Bludger, spinning out of control away from the Quidditch pitch, being followed by those hooded creatures...ending up in the Forbidden Forest...

Eva closed her eyes and shuddered. That was the most terrifying thing she had ever been through. She thought...she thought she wasn't going to make it...and the crying she had heard when the Dementors came close to her - it was almost too much to bear. Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to spill out.

Theodore panicked. He abruptly stood up and tried to comfort her. "But you're alright now and you're safe and you're here and that's all that matters!" He swiftly moved to the bedside table. "Do you want some water?" he asked in an effort to get her mind off the terrible experience. "I bet you're thirsty! Water...water..."

The blonde watched him fumble with the pitcher of water on the table, panic written all over his face. His hand shook a bit, causing him to spill some water on the floor. He cursed. Theodore looked like he had no idea what to do. She couldn't help but laugh a little in spite of herself.

He looked at her in surprise and smiled in relief as he handed her the drink. Eva thanked the boy, blinked back her tears and sat up to drink from the glass. The water was cool and relieving as it flowed down her dry throat.

"Are you hungry?" the boy asked cheerfully when she gave the glass back.

Now that he mentioned it, she was famished! But before she could reply, her stomach grumbled loudly and she blushed. The boy stared at her for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter.

"I brought sandwiches for myself but I can see that you need them more," he continued to chuckle as he rummaged through his bag. The boy took out two large sandwiches wrapped in paper napkins. "Nothing special though. One of them's bacon and egg and the other one's ham and cheese."

She looked at them hungrily, but she wasn't comfortable with taking someone else's food. "Are you sure?" she timidly asked. "Aren't you hungry as well?" But her stomach growled once more. This time, to the witch's embarrassment, it was much,_ much_ louder.

Theodore laughed heartily again and Eva found herself laughing at her silliness as well. The tense atmosphere simply evaporated.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he said between laughs as he handed her both sandwiches.

Eva thanked him and proceeded to eat. She hadn't realized how hungry she really was until she bit into the first sandwich. Bacon and egg never tasted so good. In just a matter of minutes, she had finished both sandwiches.

Theodore threw the paper napkins away for her and she thanked him again. Her eyes then landed on the balloons, sweets, flowers and cards on her table. "Oh! Those are nice. Who are those from?" she asked, smiling at the little gifts.

"Oh yeah!" Theodore exclaimed. "Some of these are from the girls. They stepped out for a while to eat. They should be back in-"

But before he could even finish the sentence, a pony-tailed girl came walking through the hospital wing's door and, upon seeing that Eva awake, came running towards the blonde. "Omygoodness! Eva!" the girl exclaimed.

Daphne, Pansy and Millicent walked calmly behind her.

Upon reaching the girl's bed, Tracey threw her arms around the blonde. "You're awake! I was so worried!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Eva winced. Her left arm was being crushed under the other girl's weight.

Tracey immediately backed off. "Oh yeah, sorry!" she chuckled. She moved to the right side of the bed, unceremoniously pushing Theodore out of the way, and hugged her friend, careful not to touch the injured arm. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Merlin, you're_ finally _awake!" Millicent piped in as she and the other two girls approached Eva. "Thought for a while you'd never wake up!"

The blonde witch chuckled as Tracey broke away from the hug. "Thanks for being so optimistic, Millicent."

Daphne sat down at the foot of the bed and crossed her legs. "You can't really blame her for thinking that though. You've been unconscious for a while now."

Eva's smile faltered. What? Unconscious for a while? How long was "a while"? Exactly how many school days had she missed?

"For how long?" she asked worriedly, hoping she hadn't missed too many classes.

"Oh, hasn't Theodore here told you?" Pansy smirked, draping her arm around the confused blonde's shoulders. "You've slept right through Christmas!"

The blonde's jaw dropped but Theodore immediately rectified the situation. "Don't listen to her, Eva! You've only been asleep for about a day or so."

"Hmph! You're such a killjoy, Nott!" the short-haired girl spat, glaring at the boy. "You should've just played along!"

"Sorry, but I don't 'play along' with mean girls like you, Parkinson!"

Tracey sighed. "Here we go again."

"Now, now, children," Daphne chipped in, assuming her usual motherly sort of tone. "No fighting in the hospital wing."

Millicent was already rummaging through Eva's gifts on the bedside table. "Ooohhh...can I have some of your chocolate frogs, Eva?"

The blonde witch smiled as she sat back and watched her friends. Seeing them again was the best remedy to her troubles. All the terrible feelings just seemed to melt away as she watched them joke around, quarrel with each other, laugh and just surround her with their presence. That was all she really needed - to be with people who cared about her.

Their little reunion was interrupted, however, by the school nurse who suddenly showed up beside them and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me! No crowding the patients!" Madame Pomfrey said, looking irritably at the noisy Slytherins. "Only one visitor per patient."

Millicent glared at the lady. "Give us five minutes, you old-"

But Tracey immediately clamped her hand over the chubby girl's mouth. "What she means to say is...could you please just give us a few more minutes, ma'am? We'll be out in a while."

Madame Pomfrey looked at each one sternly. "Five minutes," she replied with emphasis before walking off to attend to another patient.

Millicent roughly pushed the pony-tailed girl's hand away from her face. "I hate that old bat!"

Tracey rolled her eyes. "She's just doing her job, Millicent."

"Hmph!" The chubby girl stubbornly crossed her arms. "Once, when I got sick, she purposely made me drink this revolting poop-colored potion! How is _that_ part of her job? I almost puked my guts out!"

"And here I thought your deep hatred for her was fueled by some stupidly shallow experience," Pansy said with more than just a hint of sarcasm.

"I feel bad we're going to have to leave you with that old bat, Eva," Millicent added, popping another chocolate frog into her mouth.

Eva chuckled. "I think I can handle her myself." She then smiled brightly up at her friends. "But thank you guys for coming to see me. It really did me a world of good." She turned towards her bedside table. "And thanks for the gifts, too!"

"The balloons and the candies are from us! The card's from our other Housemates!" Tracey said proudly. She took the card from the table and handed it to the blonde. "Check it! Slytherins don't usually write 'Get Well Soon' cards," she continued, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "But that's nothing a little _persuasion _can't fix."

Millicent smirked beside Tracey and cracked her knuckles suggestively.

The blonde witch chuckled again when she saw that the card was full of messages. It looked like Tracey and Millicent had "persuaded" quite a number of Slytherins. "Thank you!" She looked back at the table. "How about the flowers? Who are they from?"

All eyes turned to Theodore who had quickly turned red in the face. "T-Those are from me," he said as nonchalantly as he could, his eyes downcast and his hands fidgeting with the blanket.

"Oh," Eva smiled, looking at the brightly colored flowers fondly. "Well they're lovely, Theodore. Thank you!"

The boy tried to suppress another goofy smile while pointedly avoiding eye-contact with the other girls who had knowing looks on their faces. "Y-You're welcome."

"You know," Daphne said, smirking at the boy. "It's been almost impossible to pry Theodore away from your bedside."

"Oh yeah!" Millicent snorted as she elbowed him in the ribs. "He practically _lived_ in that chair beside your bed."

"It's pathetic, really," Pansy added dully while examining her nails.

Eva chuckled and smiled fondly at the boy whose face had gone a violent shade of red. "I just wanted to make sure someone would be around when she woke up!" he answered in a defensive tone, shooting death glares at the other girls.

The blonde continued to smile up at him. "Thank you for that, Theodore."

The boy took one look at the witch and easily forgot his anger and irritation. Coyly, he nodded in response.

An awkward silence (...well, awkward for _Theodore_ anyway) settled among them before Tracey cleared her throat. "Alright, I think we best be going." She hugged the blonde witch again. "You just keep resting, okay?"

"What? Leaving already?" Eva pouted, hugging her friend tightly with her good arm.

"It's almost five minutes now. Wouldn't want to be thrown out by Madame Pomfrey, now would we?" Tracey replied, affectionately patting the blonde's head. "We're really glad you're okay now, Eva. We'll come visit you again soon, I promise." She then threw Theodore a smirk. "We'll be leaving Eva in your care, Theodore."

The boy was at a loss for words but the blush on his face said it all.

"Can I get one more chocolate frog, Eva, before we go?" Millicent begged, already holding onto the box.

Eva chuckled at her friend's silliness before nodding her head. The chubby Slytherin then happily walked off with the other girls while Daphne could be heard scolding her for eating up almost all of the gifts meant for their blonde friend. Tracey waved back before the four of them disappeared out the door, leaving Eva and Theodore alone with each other.

After another moment of silence (with Theodore fidgeting in his seat beside her), Eva laughed lightly to herself.

More than a little surprised, Theodore looked at her warily, like she had just lost it. "Err...Eva…why are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry...I just realized," she replied between laughs. "That I'm in the hospital wing. _Again._ And we haven't even made it through _half _the school year!"

The dark-haired boy smiled. "Oh yeah, you're right!" he chuckled. "Well hopefully, this'll be your last visit."

"Yeah, hopefully," she repeated, putting her card back on the bedside table. She was admiring her gifts when something among them caught her eye. "Theodore," she said. "Could you please pass me that paper bird? That one by the box of Every Flavor Beans."

Theodore's brows furrowed as he scrutinized the yellow piece of paper carefully folded into the shape of a bird. "Hmm...I don't know who this one's from," he said, placing it in the girl's hands. "Probably from one of the girls again."

Eva just smiled. Somehow, she already knew who left it there. While her fellow Slytherin helped himself to some of her candy, she discreetly unfolded the note and read the message from her Gryffindor friend. It was a short but heartwarming message wishing her a speedy recovery and expressing the bushy-haired girl's sympathy for Eva's unfortunate experience. It also mentioned that should the blonde ever need someone to talk to about it, Harry was willing to listen.

_"Oh yeah..." _she reflected, refolding the note and putting it back on the table. _"Harry was also attacked on the train ride going to Hogwarts."_

Her smile slowly faded.

But his experience, according to the stories spread around school, had only been with _one_ Dementor. Eva, on the other hand, had been attacked by a couple of them...definitely not less than six, all at the same time. She shrank back on the bed as the horror of it all slowly crept back into her system.

There had not been more than ten Dementors that time, but it certainly felt like she was attacked by a _hundred_ of them, all with their dark cloaks and abysmal faces. But more frightening than the creatures' appearance was their way of feeding on her. To suddenly be thrown into hopelessness, anguish and misery...to suddenly lose all inclination to continue living...she never ever, _ever_ wanted to feel that way again.

And that heart-wrenching cry she heard in her head...it would have been enough to drive her mad...

She wondered whether Harry had heard something like that as well when the Dementors had fed on him. He was lucky to have been saved by Professor Lupin on the train...to not have been in contact with those dark creatures for a prolonged period of time. Harry Potter was bloody lucky.

Although she was horrified to even think about it, deep down she knew that just a few more seconds of exposure to those creatures and she would have been left soulless and empty, merely existing, incapable of feeling or thought. She brought her knees closer to her body, hugging them with her good arm.

Theodore noticed the change in his friend and moved closer to her. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

After what she'd been through, she wasn't sure if she was really going to be okay anytime soon. But a comforting thought struck her. She was safe and sound there in the hospital wing, wasn't she? She wasn't left in the Forbidden Forest with those foul creatures.

She could have lost her sanity...but she _didn't_.

She could have been an empty shell by now...but she _wasn't_.

Immediately, the most significant part of her experience came flooding back to memory.

She was lucky, too, wasn't she?

Right before she lost consciousness, she saw something in the forest. She saw a corporeal Patronus. But who could have conjured it? Who could have had enough skill to do it? A non-corporeal Patronus was _already _difficult to conjure up. She had experienced this difficulty first-hand when she struggled to fight against the Dementors. So only a powerful wizard could have conjured a _corporeal_ one.

What did it look like again?

From what she could remember, it neither walked nor trotted like a four-legged beast. It _slithered_. The corporeal Patronus slithered...like a serpent, making it look so much like a dragon.

But who could have been there in the Forbidden Forest with her? The whole school was at the Quidditch Pitch, watching the most awaited game between her House and the Gryffindor House...

...wait a minute...the game!

Eva snapped her eyes back to the dark-haired boy and leaned forward. "Theodore, what happened to the game?" she asked anxiously. "Who won?"

The boy scratched his head and chuckled uncomfortably. "The Gryffindors."

"…oh." The blonde witch dejectedly leaned back on her bed.

The Gryffindors most probably deserved their victory and she thought she was supposed to be a sport and be happy for her friends from that House. But she was still pretty disappointed. She hadn't been the only one to train bloody hard for that match. Everyone on their team worked hard to win. Winning that game would have been a reward for all their efforts, for all the blood, sweat and tears. And she was sure that whatever disappointment she was feeling at that moment was felt by some of her teammates tenfold. This game meant a lot to her...but it meant so much more to certain people on her team...

Did they lose because she was knocked out of the pitch? She was almost too afraid and ashamed to ask, but her curiosity was just too much to bear.

She gripped the sheets on her bed. Hesitantly, she asked, "What happened? Was it because I crossed the boundaries?"

"No, don't think that! Nobody blames you for what happened, Eva!" Theodore immediately said, his eyes slowly darkening with anger. "That arse, _Bole_, should have done a better job of keeping the Bludger away from you!" He balled his hands into tight fists. His dark brows were knitted closely together. "But you know what I think? I think he did it on purpose...the little bleeder! Ever since the tryouts, he's been nothing but extremely nasty towards you..."

Eva reflected for a while. That would certainly explain the smug and gratified look Lucian Bole had on his face when the first Bludger broke her arm. She made a mental note to be more careful around him in the future.

Dismally, Theodore added, "But we can't do anything since we don't have any bloody proof..." He glanced at the girl's sling before looking furiously down at the stone floor.

In truth, Theodore wasn't just angry with Bole. He was angry with himself, too. He already had a feeling the Beater was up to something. He should have seen it coming. He should have done whatever it took to stop Bole from hurting Eva. At the back of his head, a nagging voice kept telling him that he should have been there for her.

"I'm sorry..." he said, now looking the girl straight in the eye, a miserable expression on his face. "I should have known Bole would pull something like that...I should have done something..."

Eva gently placed her hand on top of his. "No, don't _you_ think that," she said, smiling tenderly at the boy. "I should have been more careful. You've done a lot for me already and I am very grateful for that."

It was true. He had done so much for her. She was just lucky to have someone like him caring about her. "You're a good friend, Theodore."

She felt the tension in his hand slowly disappear as his lips curled into a small smile.

Eva then chuckled lightly. "But seriously, when it comes right down to it, we lost because I left the pitch."

The boy scratched his head again. "Well, no...not _exactly_."

She looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"We lost because, well, our _Seeker_ left the pitch."

"W-What?" Eva stared at him dumbstruck. Did she hear him correctly? "Come again?"

Theodore leaned forward and rested his weight on his knees. "At the time you were knocked out of the pitch and out of the game, Draco and Potter were right behind the Snitch. Draco was in the lead and our team was still ahead in points," he explained. "Our victory was pretty much in the bag since Draco was close to nabbing the Snitch. So our House was celebrating and cheering and stuff."

Then he paused. "But people started to wonder where you'd gone and why you hadn't returned. Some of the professors, Tracey and I started to worry that you might have been badly injured somewhere...or worse."

The blonde sat up straight as she listened intently, absorbing every word that came out of his mouth.

"When Jordan brought up the fact that the Forbidden Forest wasn't too far from the pitch and joked that you might have gotten yourself lost in it, being a new student and all, it didn't take long for us to really start panicking on account of all the Dementors hanging around there." Theodore then scowled. "That wanker, Jordan, was an arse to even joke about you having a 'snogging session' with one of those things! He got told off by McGonagall afterwards of course. Serves him right!"

He paused again as the frown on his face slowly turned into a smile. "Some of the professors were about to go looking for you...but then our team captain surprised us all. Right after Jordan's nasty joke, he suddenly stopped chasing after the Snitch and quickly flew out of the pitch and went off somewhere. Potter eventually caught the Snitch and the Gryffindors won. At the time, we weren't sure where Draco had gone off to."

He smiled brightly at the blonde witch. "He was the one who brought you back to the castle."

Eva stared at the dark-haired boy in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

Draco.

Draco bloody Malfoy had _saved_ her.

No one had to order him to do it. He just did it of his own free will. The serpentine Patronus she saw in the forest, the one that chased away the Dementors and ultimately saved her life...

It was _his_.

The girl sat back, surprise clearly etched on her face, as she tried to process everything.

"Draco's not a bad guy, you know," Theodore chuckled upon noticing the girl's reaction. "He may be hot-headed and nasty 90% of the time, but deep down he really is a good guy. I wouldn't consider him one of my best mates if he were otherwise."

Theodore was after all grateful to the blonde boy for saving Eva despite their quarrels. A little part of him selfishly wished he could have been the one to save her, but still, he was happy to have her safe and sound. He always knew Draco could be counted on.

"So," he continued tentatively. "I'm hoping you guys can be good friends from now on."

Things started to sink in with Eva. He really did save her. Draco bloody saved her. He was the reason she was safely back at Hogwarts. He was the reason she didn't have to live as a soulless, empty shell.

"Merlin," Eva breathed out.

She owed Draco her _life_.

* * *

><p>After one more day of being cooped up in the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey took the sling off on Eva's left arm and told the blonde she was well enough to go. Tracey and Theodore, who were busy talking about the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team, stood beside her as she stretched out her formerly injured left arm.<p>

She smiled. Thanks to Madame Pomfrey's quick working medicine, her arm was as good as new. She still had a few bandages on her arms and on her face because of the cuts she got in the Forbidden Forest (the nurse had explained that the cuts would heal quickly on their own) but other than that, she was completely fine.

Eva gathered her gifts and things from the bedside table and put them in her bag. She took one last look at her bed and sighed.

She was free!

She never did like staying in hospitals or clinics for long periods of time. There was just something about being confined to a bed and being stuck in one place for a long time that really ticked her off. There would be instances that, when kept too long in places like that, she would suddenly be overcome with inexplicable feelings of depression and loneliness despite having friends around her.

Admittedly, though, her stay there hadn't been so bad. While she had been regaining her strength and health, her friends had come to visit her regularly and had shared their class notes with her.

Although, in actuality, only Tracey and Daphne had decent notes to share. Millicent's parchment was usually filled with animated doodles and graffiti, Pansy believed she was above taking down notes and Theodore never could pay enough attention in class to actually take down a word from the lecture.

Other people came to visit her as well. Much to her delight, her favorite professor, Professor Lupin, had also visited her. He wanted to check up on the blonde, especially after hearing about her encounter with Dementors, creatures he himself was very much familiar with. Eva had a lot of questions for him but the kind professor had insisted that she focus on getting better first. Before leaving, he had given her a bar of chocolate and had instructed her to visit his office once she had recuperated, promising explanations for her questions.

The Headmaster, too, had checked up on her, expressing his concern and his displeasure for the unfortunate event. The old man also told Eva he had sent her parents a letter to inform them of her accident. She was not exactly thrilled to hear about that. She was sure that letter would be met more with _disappointment_ than with worry. It would only be a matter of time before she got a reply reprimanding her for her carelessness.

But what really saddened her was the fact that the one person she had been yearning to see had not come to visit her at all. During her stay at the school's hospital wing, she had expected her fellow blonde to stop by even for just a few minutes. She was hoping he would so that she could thank him properly for what he had done. But Draco never did visit. Not once.

When Eva had finished signing some paperwork given to her by Madame Pomfrey, the three Slytherins left the hospital wing and took the path leading to their common room. Tracey and Theodore were still talking animatedly about Alexei Levski, one of the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team's Chasers, when Eva spoke up.

"Hey, Theodore," she tentatively asked her friend. "Do you know where I can find Draco?"

"Draco?" Tracey butted in, arching an eyebrow. "You're looking for _Malfoy_?"

"Yeah," the blonde answered timidly. "I want to thank him for...you know..."

"Oh, riiight. Guess I'm just not used to you actually asking for Malfoy." The pony-tailed girl chuckled. "Guess the git's not so bad after all."

Theodore looked at Eva and smiled knowingly. "If you're looking for Draco, well, he's a pretty busy guy," he explained. "He's probably off doing work in the library or hiding from Parkinson or training for our next match with the Ravenclaws."

"But our next match isn't until next year, right?" the blonde asked as they rounded a corner.

He nodded. "Yeah, but that's our team captain for you! He trains harder than any of us." The dark-haired boy then chuckled. "I'm surprised that guy even finds time to sleep! He starts off really early in the morning. Whenever I wake up, his bed's always empty!"

"Maybe that's just because you keep oversleeping," Tracey teased. Eva chuckled as well.

"Well there's that," the boy laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "And he usually goes jogging around the campus at bloody four in the morning!"

Eva abruptly stopped in her tracks, eyes wide open. The other two Chasers stopped walking and looked at her strangely.

"What's the matter, Eva?" the boy asked, concerned. "Forgot something at the hospital wing?"

"Say that again," Eva quickly said.

Theodore wore a confused look on his face. "Say _what_ again? Forgot something at the hospital wing?"

"No, no! The jogging part," the blonde replied with eagerness. "Please say it again."

"Oh...err...he goes jogging around the campus at bloody four in the morning?" Theodore chuckled, not really seeing the significance to that little piece of information. "Why? What about it?"

Eva paused and thought for a while. After a few seconds, a huge smile appeared on her face. Wordlessly, she started walking again, this time with a spring in her step and with her friends exchanging puzzled looks behind her.

* * *

><p>It was four in the morning. The only sounds that could be heard in the boys' room was Theodore's snoring and the soft rustling of Draco's black joggers and sweater as he put them on. The blonde slipped his feet into his running shoes, grabbed his wand and gloves from his bedside table, just as usual, and left the room quietly. Using one of the secret passages he had discovered during his second year in Hogwarts, he snuck out of the castle.<p>

It was very cold outside. He didn't need to look at a calendar to see that winter was fast approaching. Draco rubbed his hands together and pulled the hood of his sweater up to give his head a bit of warmth before proceeding with his jogging routine.

The early morning was quiet save the quick and rhythmic sound of his footsteps upon the ground and the rustling of the trees from the cold wind blowing everywhere. Most people would have found the school grounds eerie at this sort of time with the world still in such a quiet slumber, shadows lurking around and the trees swaying, forming strange shapes in the dark. But Draco found it calming. The quietness of his surroundings was just what he needed to do some thinking.

When he neared the Quidditch pitch, he slowed to a stop. Resting for a moment, he leaned against the trunk of a tree and crossed his arms as he reflectively stared at the pitch.

Ever since the Gryffindor-Slytherin match, he had not been able to get something...rather, _someone_ out of his head. To that day, he still couldn't understand what had possessed him to surrender the game...even when the Snitch was within his grasp...even though winning that match was all he had wanted for such a long time now.

It would have been his chance to beat Scarhead, to bring glory to his team and their House, to give his father a reason to be proud of him...and yet, when he had heard Lee Jordan mention a certain girl's name and Dementors in the same sentence, everything (including his better judgment) just went right out the window. And before he knew it, he was already in the Forbidden Forest, frantically searching for platinum blonde hair like his.

Draco shook his head. He just couldn't understand it.

He gave the pitch one last look before turning to go. But just when he went back to jogging, a drop of water fell on his pale face and shortly after, it started to drizzle. Thinking that it was just a passing shower, Draco continued jogging. Within minutes though, when he had reached the Black Lake, the rain started to fall down harder and faster and he cursed. He didn't exactly have an umbrella anymore (thanks to yet another bright idea of his to go giving it to a certain someone) so he took shelter under a nearby tree. It didn't do much to keep him dry though.

He therefore decided to give up on his plans to continue his early morning jogging, making a mental note to purchase another umbrella during their next Hogsmeade trip. He was about to go when he heard a twig snap behind him. On instinct, he immediately pulled his wand out and whirled around to see what caused the disturbance.

Draco was more than a little surprised to find that a familiar black umbrella was now opened above his head and protecting him from the rain, and that an even more familiar face was smiling right at him. Dumbstruck, he stared into gray eyes much like his own.

The first thought that popped into his head was: What in the world was _she_ doing there?

"I figured," the girl said softly, as if able to read his mind. "That you might need this back."

The sound of her voice broke him out of his trance and he immediately looked away, gruffly tossing back his sweater's hood and stuffing his wand back in his pocket.

When Draco gave no reply, the witch continued, "Theodore told me you usually went jogging very early in the morning...around the same time I used to train in the pitch for our first match." She chuckled lightly. "It's funny...while I was training one morning, it suddenly rained hard but luckily, _someone_ was kind enough to leave an umbrella for me to use."

She smiled although he was not looking at her. "I read in the weather report that it was going to rain hard again today so I thought you might want to have your umbrella back...this _is_ yours, isn't it?"

Draco crossed his arms and leaned against the tree, making another mental note - this time to remind his best friend to keep his big mouth shut. "So what if it's mine?" he asked in an indifferent sort of tone.

"Well, I want to thank you for lending it to me," Eva replied, not really minding the tone he was using. "I could have gotten a lot sicker from getting rained on if it hadn't been for this umbrella."

Once again, the boy said nothing and only kept his gaze straight ahead towards the Black Lake. Over in that same lake, the Giant Squid could be seen surfacing every now and then, relishing in the heavy downpour of rainwater. The rain continued to fall steadily but the umbrella Eva held open for the both of them helped keep Draco and herself dry.

"But more importantly," Eva continued. Her eyes never once left the boy's face. "I want to thank you for what you did back in the Forbidden Forest."

Draco looked at the girl this time.

"I heard about what you did...giving up the Snitch to help me..." she timidly said, fingers fidgeting with the umbrella's handle. "I want to apologize for being the reason why our team lost. What you did must not have been easy...I know winning that match meant a lot to you."

She looked sincerely up at the boy who in turn looked down at her with slight astonishment. "I also know that I wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for you…if you hadn't saved me…"

Eva stood silent for a while as she tried to will away the terror slowly reentering her system.

Draco stared at her. Then, he did the unexpected. He took the umbrella from the girl's hand and held it up for the both of them, making sure that both were sufficiently protected from the rain, before looking away again. It was Eva's turn to stare at him in astonishment.

"You're such a nuisance, you know that?" he said nonchalantly, stuffing his free hand in his sweater's front pocket.

Eva blinked. Then a smile slowly crept back to her lips. She leaned beside him against the tree and, calmly, she replied, "I know."

"You have got to be the most irritating, troublesome girl I've ever met," he gruffly added.

"Yes, I am aware of that." Eva continued to smile.

She should be insulted, but she wasn't. She should be put off, even just a bit, but she really wasn't. There was just something _different_ about the way he said it. In his voice, there was no contempt. No hatred. No anger.

He had a frown on his face but, somehow, it didn't really reach his eyes.

The simple gesture of holding the umbrella for her was chivalrous, something he hadn't been with her for a while now. And being saved by him…finding out that the umbrella was from him…she just couldn't stop thinking about it. Despite his cold behavior towards her…in his own sneaky, secretive way, Draco actually cared.

And at that point, she just _knew. _

Their days as enemies were finally over.

Every terrible thing he had ever said to her, every fight they had gotten into, ever glare and every scowl...everything just seemed to be washed away with the rain. Eva couldn't stop smiling even if she wanted to.

"Draco?"

He hummed in response.

She looked warmly up at him. "Thank you."

Draco stared at her for a moment. Then, he looked away and nodded.

In comfortable silence, they stood beside each other under the umbrella as they waited for the rain to lighten up.

Secretly though, Eva, who was smiling from ear to ear, wished the rain would _never_ stop.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Finally! The turning point in the story! I'm sooo happy and I hope you are, too! Now, we can get on with the good (and much awaited fluffy) parts! Teehee! :)**

**It's been a struggle between these two blondes, but now their friendship has been revived! I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally reach this point hahaha. **

**With regard to the identity of Eva's savior, was Draco your first guess? I think some of you could already tell. Hahaha.**

**There are still some unsolved mysteries though. What's up with that cry Eva heard during the Dementor attack? And…who in the world _IS _Eva's childhood friend? I hope you haven't forgotten about that little mystery just yet. Hohoho. We are slowly getting there!**

**To all my reviewers, thank you so much for your comments! As always, I love hearing from you guys. It really keeps me going with this story, so thank you! ****Short reviews, long reviews, _insanely_ long reviews…I love them all! So go on and click on that blue link at the bottom of the page. :D**


	18. Something

**CHAPTER 18  
>"Something"<strong>

"Come on, Greengrass!" Theodore whined. "Let me copy just a little!"

Without so much as looking up from her book, Daphne replied, "I didn't work all night on my Charms paper just to have someone copy off it."

Pansy, who was sitting next to her on one of their common room couches, sneered at the boy. "Git."

Theodore glared. "I wasn't asking for _your _help, Parkinson." And seeing her busy scribbling on her own paper, he added with a smug look on his face, "And it looks like you're not done with yours either!"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "For your information, git, I'm almost done with mine. _You_ haven't even started yet. Git." With a smug look of her own, she continued, "This was given to us two weeks ago. How can you not have anything written down on your parchment? Are you _that_ thick?"

"I've been working extra hard on other things, okay?" he answered defensively.

The short-haired girl harrumphed. "Sure you were."

"He's telling the truth," Tracey piped in. She had been working on her Transfiguration homework on the other couch with Millicent. "Because of the recent changes in our Quidditch team's line up, Theodore here's been working like a horse."

The dark-haired boy looked at Tracey like she was his savior. "Finally! Someone who gets me!"

"BUT!" she added and Theodore already felt another rejection around the corner. "That doesn't mean I'll be letting you copy off me, Theodore. You gotta learn how to balance your responsibilities."

He turned to Millicent, but seeing that she was struggling with her own paper and that she wasn't particularly known for her good marks in class, he abandoned any hope of getting help from his female housemates and instead turned to one of his best mates.

"Draco, come on, mate! Please let me copy! Just this once! I promise."

The blonde looked up from the game of Wizard's Chess he and Blaise were currently playing and scoffed, "Just once, eh? Now where have I heard that one before?"

"3 papers, 2 reports and 5 assignments ago to be precise," Blaise answered matter-of-factly as he scratched his chin thinking of his next move on the chess board.

Swallowing his last bit of integrity, Theodore turned helplessly to his other best mate with the saddest puppy dog eyes he could muster. "Blaise?"

The Italian smirked. "Fine," he said, moving his knight across the board, destroying one of Draco's bishops and effectively eliciting a cuss from said blonde.

"Really?" Theodore perked up. "Thanks, mate! You all should learn a thing or two about friendship and camaraderie from my best mate here!" He quickly rummaged through his friend's bag for the Charms paper.

"That'll be 30 galleons."

Theodore's eyes snapped back to Blaise. "WHAT?"

"Per paragraph."

The dark-haired boy groaned. "Isn't there a single good and kind human being in this room?"

"Really?" Pansy snorted. "You're _really_ asking that? You forget you're in the Slytherin common room."

Suddenly, a different voice chipped in, "You really shouldn't be cramming on your paper, Theodore."

The boy turned his head. It was Eva standing behind him. She had just arrived in their common room. A few bandages and a small smile lingered on her face.

"Oh h-hey...Eva," he said timidly, scratching the back of his head like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I...umm...you see..."

The witch chuckled lightly and pushed her paper into the boy's hands. "Just don't copy word for word, alright?" She then took a seat beside Tracey, who had an eyebrow arched.

"You shouldn't encourage him, Eva," she said. "He's just going to get lazier and lazier."

"I'll help him just this once," the blonde witch replied, smiling at Theodore. "And in exchange, he'll have to work harder on his papers next time."

Theodore returned the smile with gratitude and started to work.

"What's this?" Draco suddenly sneered. Everyone quickly looked up from their current occupation. "Bellator letting someone copy off her? That's new."

The group fell into uneasy silence and everyone's eyes went from one blonde to the other in anticipation of another squabble.

With an eyebrow cocked, Draco continued, "Already having trouble sticking to all the rules here in Hogwarts?"

The group turned to Eva with bated breath. They were surprised to find her looking calm and collected.

"Oh no, not _all_ the rules," she replied coolly. "Just having trouble with a few."

A smirk tugged at the boy's lips, his chess game momentarily forgotten. "Let me guess..._curfew _being one of those few?"

Eva flashed him a knowing look. "Oh, I'm quite sure I'm not the _only _one having trouble with curfews."

The smirk on the blonde boy's face grew and the rest of the group was left yet again to exchange looks of confusion and astonishment. The hotheaded Draco Malfoy didn't look pissed (like he normally did whenever he conversed with his fellow blonde). He didn't look irritable either. In fact, both he and his so-called twin actually looked...amused.

Draco moved his queen and destroyed Blaise's rook. "Check."

"Ah, bollocks." Blaise grumbled. "Sneaky bastard."

That seemed to bring the normal atmosphere back to the group of Slytherins. Theodore went back to cramming on his Charms paper (although there was a hint of a smile playing on his lips), Millicent returned to struggling with her own paper, Daphne turned her attention back to her Transfiguration textbook and Eva and Tracey started talking.

Pansy, however, was not quite over what she had just seen. "What just happened?" she asked in a low whisper that was more to herself than to her seatmate. And with a touch of irritation, she continued, "Since when did _they_ stop fighting?"

"Since that whole dementor incident I presume." Daphne turned a page. "I wouldn't expect them to still be fighting after what Draco did for her."

The short-haired girl eyed Eva and harrumphed before going back to scribbling on her parchment. Daphne merely smirked to herself.

On the other couch, Eva was still talking to her best friend like nothing had happened. "Sorry it took me a while to get here, Tracey." She brought out some books from her bag. "Ready to work on our report?"

"Oh, yeah sure. The report." Tracey looked at Draco (who was back to looking contemplative over their game of Wizard's Chess), then at Pansy (who looked grumpier than usual) and then back at Eva. Suppressing a smile, she brought out some parchment and her quill. "So where have you been anyway?"

Eva started flipping through pages, looking for the entry she found about flobberworm mucus. "Oh...I went to see Professor Lupin..." She cleared her throat. "I found an interesting article here about the uses of –"

"Lupin?" Millicent suddenly butted in. "What would you want with _that _tosspot?"

The blonde witch gave her a stern look. "Professor Lupin is NOT a tosspot, Millicent. He just wanted to talk to me."

"About what?" her chubby friend snorted. "Hinkypunks and Red Caps?"

"About...you know..." Eva trailed off and turned back to her book.

Tracey shot Millicent a look while she continued to scribble on her parchment. After an uneasy moment of silence, she, too, cleared her throat. "Well...how did it go?" she asked, masking concern with casualness. "What did he say?"

Eva turned another page. A far away look had settled in her eyes.

_~ FLASHBACK ~_

_"Professor?" Eva peered from behind the door. "You wanted to see me?" _

_Professor Lupin was grading some papers on his desk. He looked up and smiled warmly at his student. "Ah, Miss Bellator! Yes, come in. Come in."_

_The witch closed the door behind her and looked around his office. It was far smaller than the Headmaster's office (which she visited often since Dumbledore wanted to check up on her regularly, being a new student and all), but she actually found that Professor Lupin's was far more interesting. While the Headmaster did indeed have a beautiful phoenix in his office and various whirring silver instruments, the D.A.D.A. professor had all sorts of fascinating creatures in cages, boxes and containers, all of which she had only seen or read about in books. Her attention was quickly caught by a horned creature swimming in a tank in one corner of the room._

_Suddenly forgetting her purpose for coming, she hurried over to the tank with child-like excitement. "Professor, is that a grindylow?"_

_"Well spotted, Miss Bellator," he chuckled as he put away the papers he was checking. "But I wouldn't go too near it if I were you. Grindylows have been known for their aggression towards humans."_

_The witch stepped back but kept her eyes on the creature before her. It had green teeth and long tentacle-like fingers, and it watched her like she was a juicy fish out of water. _

_"Please come sit and tell me how you are feeling." Good-naturedly, the older man added, "Don't worry, the grindylow will still be there after we talk."_

_Eva pinked a little from embarrassment and took a seat in front of his desk. "I'm feeling much better, Sir."_

_"I trust your arm is in better shape?" _

_The witch nodded. _

_"Good. Good..." He then clasped his hands on the desk and leaned forward with a grave expression on his face, unintentionally signaling the start of a more serious conversation. "I haven't forgotten my promise to answer your questions once you recover, but...I don't claim to know everything about such creatures." _

_He paused as he recalled a similar conversation he had had before with a certain bespectacled boy...and the similar look of anxiety he was seeing again, this time on the blonde witch's face. "I will, however, do my best to answer whatever question you may have for me."_

_The smile had already left her face and the cheerful atmosphere had evaporated from the office. "I'm honestly not sure where to start, Sir..." she said uneasily._

_"It's alright," the professor replied, sensing her discomfort. "Take your time."_

_Talking about it was harder than Eva thought. She was being forced to relive that day, but not by Professor Lupin. It was her own curiosity pushing her to the brink. That experience had been terrifying, yes...but not knowing, not understanding was more disturbing to her. _

_At night, she would find herself tossing and turning, trying to make sense of the things she had _heard_ in her head that day. She wanted..._needed _to understand what exactly happened and the only way to do that was to recall the events she had been vehemently hiding away in the darkest corners of her mind for days now._

_If she wanted answers, she needed to muster the courage to ask. _

_Eva wrung her wrists and started slowly, feeling for just the right words. "When I was...when I was attacked..." She stopped. It was like a huge clump was stuck in her throat. She was amazed words were even able to find their way out of her mouth. She cleared her throat and tried to calm herself before continuing, but her heart was already starting to pound fast._

_"I heard _something_, Professor," she finally said. "...I heard someone crying."_

_~ END OF FLASHBACK ~_

* * *

><p>"Move it, Montague!" Draco bellowed from the stands. "At that rate, the other team's Chasers could easily catch up with you! Come on!"<p>

He watched his teammates carefully, scrutinizing strengths that could further be improved and weaknesses that could prove detrimental to their next game. The new Chaser wasn't nearly as good as Theodore, but what could they do at such short notice? They needed someone to fill in Theodore's spot immediately and Montague seemed to be the only one fit for it since he had one of the highest scores during the Chaser tryouts, second only to Bellator. And speaking of the blonde witch...

Draco looked around for any signs of the girl.

She was late.

Again.

But somehow he expected it.

* * *

><p>Despite their team captain being strict with promptness and attendance in Quidditch training, Eva found herself dragging her feet to the pitch at least an hour late. This time, however, she wasn't late because of trouble with her uniform. In fact, she had already been in uniform for about an hour now, but decided to spend that same hour sitting under a tree near the Black Lake, contemplating and calming her nerves while fiddling with the gray stone hanging from her neck, a habit she had adopted whenever she found herself troubled or deep in thought.<p>

She didn't intentionally come late because she wanted to piss Draco off. It wasn't because she had given up on Quidditch, nor was it because she was still too weak to train. She was physically ready for their training again. Mentally and emotionally, though, she couldn't say the same.

The very sight of the Quidditch pitch made her feet feel like lead.

_~ FLASHBACK ~_

_"Dementors are some of the foulest creatures you will ever stumble upon in your life," Professor Lupin explained with the gravest tone she had ever heard him use. "They feed off happiness, leaving you with only your worst fears, saddest memories and most terrifying experiences."_

_He paused for a while to take a good look at Eva. The color from her face had drained. _

_He recalled the same talk he had had with the bespectacled boy, who claimed he had heard something similar when he was attacked – a woman screaming. Professor Lupin felt a strong sense of sympathy for both students. So young, barely in their teens...yet already exposed to horrors that would forever haunt their dreams._

_"What you heard," he continued slowly. "Could have been a part of some memory that, to some degree, was traumatic for you."_

_Eva remained silent, but the wheels in her head were turning. _

_"That's the way dementors work...filthy and low. They use your worst experiences against you. They replay such memories in a person's head, relishing in their grief and despair, eventually driving that person mad." He paused again and looked her in the eye. _

_"Do you remember anything in your past..._anything_ that the dementors could have used against you?"_

_~ END OF FLASHBACK ~_

The cold wind blew against her pallid face as she made her way up the stands, her broom clutched tightly in one hand. It was mended in several places, but it would have to do for now. She was lucky it hadn't split into two back in the Forbidden Forest, but she would still have to buy a new one during their next Hogsmeade trip.

"You're late again."

Eva didn't have to turn her head to see who it was.

"You sure that broom'll hold you?" he scoffed.

The witch kept silent and placed her bag on the stands, getting ready to mount her broom.

Draco turned back to the pitch. "Oi! Davis! Montague! Get down here."

Eva quickly snapped out of her reverie. She turned around and shot him a confused look. "Montague?"

Landing on the stands with Tracey was a boy she recognized from the Chaser tryouts. He was wearing the official Slytherin Chaser uniform, the one Theodore used to wear.

Eva's brows furrowed. What was _he_ doing wearing _Theodore's_ uniform?

Tracey walked up to her. "Hey, Eva!" she greeted warmly. "This here's Graham Montague. He's the new Chaser."

"Hi..." Eva replied politely but a confused look was still plastered all over her face. "Sorry...but where's Theodore? Why do we need a new Chaser? We already have three."

Tracey looked at Draco, who in turn just shrugged and took Montague to one side for further instruction. "No one told you yet?" the pony-tailed girl asked, turning back to Eva. "I thought for sure Nott would have at least told you."

"Told me what?" Eva's patience was running thin.

"He gave up his position as Chaser."

Eva felt a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. What the bloody hell was going on? _Theodore?_ Theodore _Nott?_ The boy who was absolutely _in love_ with being a Chaser for their team was suddenly giving up his position?

And why was Tracey so bloody calm about it? The normal Tracey would have beat Theodore black and blue if she found out that he had ditched them!

"I-I don't understand," Eva replied. "What do you mean he gave it up? Why? He's not playing for our team anymore?"

The very thought of not having Theodore on their team was just plain horrible to her. How could she possibly stay in their team without Theodore, her coach, teammate and friend? She felt terrible but the smile on Tracey's face was throwing her off.

The pony-tailed girl chuckled. "You can ask him yourself. He's over there."

The blonde turned back to the pitch. "What–"

"Oi! Theodore!" Tracey called out, waving her arm. "Get over here!

Eva hadn't noticed the other three people flying around – their team's Keeper and two Beaters.

And that was when she saw it – Theodore flying towards them in a Slytherin Beater uniform, clutching a Beater's bat in one hand. Eva's jaw dropped. When he landed, the blonde witch was still gaping.

Theodore flashed her a small smile. "Welcome back to training," he said tentatively. And with an awkward chuckle, he turned around in place. "Like my new uniform? Looks good on me, doesn't it?"

"Theodore, I-I don't understand. Why?"

But the dark-haired boy just kept smiling at her until they heard a thump beside them. Lucian Bole had landed on the stands as well.

"Why indeed." He walked towards his bag, eyeing Eva with a haughty look on his face. "All fixed up now, eh girly?" he scoffed, taking a seat by his bag and pulling out a canteen. Motioning to the bandages on her face, the buff boy added, "'Cept for those of course." He then took a long drink from his canteen, never taking his dark eyes away from the girl.

Eva narrowed her own gray eyes at him before turning back to the pitch together with Tracey and Theodore, all three ready to mount their brooms.

"Don't mind him, Eva. He's just being an arse. Nothing new about that."  
>"Why didn't you tell me about your switch, Theodore?"<br>"Yeah, Nott! I thought you spilled the beans already."

"Hey Bellator, tell me..." Bole continued, putting away his canteen and standing at his full height, an arrogant, gratified look on his face. "How's that _arm_ of yours doing?"

Eva stopped in her tracks.

"Shut it, Bole," Theodore retorted. "Stop being such a toerag!"

The buff boy smirked, stuffing a hand in the pocket of his trousers. "Or better yet…how was the snogging session with the dementors? Tell me…did you enjoy yourself?"

That was the last straw. Before her friends could stop her, Eva had whipped around, taken her wand out and planted her feet solidly in front of Bole, her wand pointed dangerously up his face.

"My arm's well enough to hex you to the next century, thanks for asking," she answered darkly. Eva pressed her wand against his square chin. "Maybe you'd like to see just how well my arm has recovered."

The blonde witch looked more than serious in carrying out the threat. But Bole merely continued to smirk. Even though she was a small and frail thing compared to him, almost a toothpick even, she was more than capable of sending a hex down his way...

And that was just how he wanted it.

...that's why he had reached into his pocket for his wand just before setting the bait out for the unsuspecting prey. She threatened _him_ first. If he should _retaliate_, it would only look like self-defence. Oh, how he'd been practicing his favorite hex for a while now...

She wouldn't even know what hit her...

"Enough!" their team captain shouted, storming towards the two and breaking Bole's concentration. "We're practicing for Quidditch, not dueling! Get back to your positions!"

After one last dark look at the boy towering before her, Eva put her wand away, mounted her broom and flew back to the pitch with her two friends behind her.

Bole let out a huff of irritation and left his wand in his pocket.

Lucky girl.

_"But one day, all that luck's gonna run out..."_

He scowled at their team captain, who was in turn glaring daggers at him, before going back to practice.

_"One day, all that luck's gonna be gone…and _then_ what'll you do, girly?"_

* * *

><p>The sun was almost setting when they had finished practices. Eva felt slightly better after releasing all the anger she felt earlier on through the sport. She hadn't realized how much she actually missed sweating it out on her broom with her teammates (...well, with <em>some<em> of them anyway) until practices for the day were over.

Not really looking for another confrontation with the ogre that was Lucian Bole, she immediately left the pitch with Theodore and Tracey flanking her sides. The latter, however, excused herself saying that she had detention (again) with Filch...but not before throwing an inconspicuous wink at the dark-haired boy.

Walking on the path back to the castle, Theodore noticed the blonde's broom and chuckled. "We're going to have to get you a new broom, Eva. That thing looks like it's ready to fall apart!"

When she didn't reply, he cleared his throat. "You know..." he said, sneaking looks at the witch every now and then. "Our next Hogsmeade trip's coming up..." And cue quickening of the pulse and sweating of palms. Suddenly, the temperature of the air around him went up a couple of degrees. "If you're not busy or anything that day–"

"You never did answer my question, you know," she abruptly cut him off, not exactly paying attention to what he was saying before.

Theodore looked at her quizzically. "What question?"

"Why did you switch from being a Chaser to a Beater?" she asked pointblank as she scrutinized his face. "I just don't get it. We all know how great you were!"

Theodore's smile faltered. "Well...the position of Beater's good, too. And someone has to keep that arse, Bole, in line during tournaments. What he did to _you_ last time…I don't want…" Then he paused before he said too much, embarrassed himself or lost his temper over Bole again. He wasn't going to let that wanker ruin the nice sunset walk he and Eva were having. "I just think it'll be better if I were a Beater." With a wink, Theodore added, "Besides, didn't you tell me once that I'd make a fantastic one?"

"Well yeah, but someone else can stand in as our second Beater. Theodore, you _loved _being a Chaser!" Eva stopped walking and clutched his arm. She looked up at him trying to understand what in the world was going on in his head. "I remember you once telling me that the Chaser was the best position on a Quidditch team."

"Y-Yeah, but–"

"You once told me that as a Chaser, you had to work extra hard and work well with your fellow Chasers...but that's what makes being one so great."

"Yeah, I did say that, didn't I?" he laughed lightly, scratching his head. "Merlin, you have a good memory..."

"And didn't you once tell me that you loved it _'more than anything'_?"

Theodore stopped laughing and Eva wondered whether she whether she was being too nosy or too pushy. But the smile on the boy's face that only seemed to grow and grow said otherwise.

"I did say that," he replied, his smile now steady and bright. "But things have changed."

Eva looked up at his dark green eyes and saw _something_.

She couldn't describe it exactly...couldn't put her finger on it...but it was warm and it burned brightly behind those emerald eyes...behind those flushed cheeks...behind that huge smile on his face. And a voice inside her was telling her not to overlook what she saw…telling her to pay attention…

...because Theodore was trying to tell her something.

"You see, I've found something more important now." He took another step closer and his smile became even brighter, his cheeks even redder. "Something I love more."

Slowly, he brought his face closer to hers…closer to those cherry lips…the closest he could get without losing control and…

…and reached for Eva's broom and bag.

He quickly slung the latter on his shoulder and, after throwing her one last smile, started walking back up to the castle.

Eva stood frozen for a while before finally running after him. "W-Wait up!"

* * *

><p>Draco was on his way back to the castle from the pitch when he spotted his two other teammates far ahead of him. That blonde hair was after all pretty hard to miss. The two looked like they were talking intensely about something and they were standing close to each other...far too close, in fact. Hadn't they left the pitch with Davis?<p>

"Well, look at that," a voice boomed behind him in arrogant amusement. "Your idiot of a friend really has it in for the witch, eh?"

Bole stood beside him and laughed conceitedly, unaware that Draco's temper was slowly reaching its boiling point.

"He's dumber than I thought," the Beater continued even when the blonde started to walk away disgustedly from him. "I mean…what kind of git could ever fancy _that_ witch?"

Draco stopped.

Sneering, the buff boy added, "What he sees in that little _swot_, I'll never understand."

In the blink of an eye, Draco had both hands on the other boy's collars and was pulling him up threateningly.

"Don't you _ever _say that again unless you want your _tongue_ ripped out of your mouth."

The Beater was taken by surprise but tried to maintain the proud look on his face. "Well, well, well...never took you for someone who actually _cared_, Malfoy." And suddenly realizing a possible flaw...a weakness in the wall the blonde boy had so stubbornly built around himself, Bole grinned wickedly. "Don't tell me you have a thing for fellow blondes?"

"Watch your mouth, Bole. You think it's funny to screw around with your teammates?" Draco seethed. His knuckles were turning white. His face, livid. "Don't think for one second that I've forgotten all about your little foul play during our last match."

Bole smirked. "I don't know what you're talking a–"

"Don't screw with me!" Draco pulled on the boy's collars tighter, bringing their faces only inches away from each other. "If you value your insignificant life, don't you _dare_ screw with me, Bole."

The Beater struggled and cursed at him, but stopped when he saw the dark and menacing look in their captain's mercurial eyes. Stories about the Malfoy family and their adeptness in the dark arts quickly went through his brain...and suddenly, to his dismay, Bole remembered two things: that Draco Malfoy was yet another person that could do well on any threat...

...and that his wand was nowhere near his hand.

"Now listen well because I won't be repeating myself," the blonde said through gritted teeth. "I don't care how good you are. The next time you try shit like that again, you're off the team! Do I make myself clear?"

Bole did the only thing he could do for now. He narrowed his eyes. "Crystal."

Finished with the dirty business, the blonde gruffly shoved him away.

The Beater regained his composure and straightened up his uniform. With a curse, he brusquely stomped away in another direction, ego hurt and anger fueled.

Draco straightened himself up and saw that his other two teammates were already gone from the path. He started back up the castle, looking forward to one very cold and very long shower and carrying the ominous feeling that their troubles with Lucian Bole had _not_ quite ended there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**ZOMG. I'm back. HAHA. I've been gone a loooong time, I know. I apologize! Had a case of writer's block, thesis and exams all rolled into one big ball of stress. But the good news is...it's aaaall dooone! Hurray, hurray! *hands out cookies for everyone***

**I'm still kind of getting used to writing again. So please bear with me. Aaand…I noticed my recent chapter was pretty...hmm...crowded/bulky. I just hope you like this chapter better!**

**Thanks for the reviews! Draco's happy thought...teehee...that'll be revealed much, much later unfortunately. **

**Anyway, enjoy! And please do leave a review/comment. :)**

**OH! And if you want to see a picture of Eva, check out my profile pic. Let me know what you think! *bribes you with more cookies* :D**

**OH! OH! And hurray for Pottermore as well! Got sorted into Slytherin. HAHA! Proudly green and silver. :D**


	19. Boggart: Part 1

**CHAPTER 19  
>"Boggart: Part 1"<strong>

_"Do you remember anything in your past...anything that the dementors could have used against you?"_

It was dark.

She couldn't see anything...couldn't hear anything but her labored breathing.

She was alone and she knew it.

She tried to feel for a way out, but to no avail. The darkness was unending.

She started to cry, started to panic. Her throat was closing up on her.

She couldn't breathe.

She was trapped.

Eva tiredly opened her eyes. Beads of perspiration slid down the sides of her face. Groggily, she looked around the room and saw that her roommates had already left for breakfast. Millicent's cat was still slumbering on its master's bed and Noxx was watching her from its cage. It cocked its head to the side, as if asking her if she was all right. She reached under her pillow, pulled out Teddy and hugged it close to her chest. 

* * *

><p>Breakfast in the Great Hall was buzzing with life as usual. The common topic of discussion was the escaped criminal, Sirius Black. Rumors were going around about him being spotted near Hogwarts, among other sensationalized things students found exciting but also quite terrifying.<p>

"They say one look from him would kill 'ya!"  
>"I heard he's like one of them dementors. He can slip outta anywhere like a wisp of smoke. That's how he got outta Azkaban, see?"<br>"Well I heard that he's almost as evil as You-Know-Who!"

There were, however, others who were more preoccupied with other problems. Theodore Nott, for example, had been inexplicably fumbling with his breakfast, scratching his head furiously every now and then, and muttering incoherent things to himself for quite some time now, all the while donning two pink patches on his cheeks.

Tracey, who unfortunately sat nearest him, watched his display of insanity with more than just a bit of curiosity as she munched on her toast.

"Oi, Theodore, have you finally gone completely mental?"

Theodore looked up from his plate. "W-What?"

Tracey chuckled. "You've been acting really odd all morning."

He shook his head vigorously. "N-No, I haven't!"

The pony-tailed girl chuckled a second time. "Judging from your fidgety behavior and the shade of red painted all over your face, there could only be one thing on your mind." She wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. "It's Eva, isn't it?"

The blush on the boy's face darkened as he quickly glanced at their other friends at the table who were busy chatting. "Shhh! The others'll hear!"

"I hate to break it to you, but all of us _know_ you fancy her, Theodore," Tracey laughed. "It's kind of obvious. You're always around her, always asking for her, always so concerned." She pinched both his cheeks mockingly and made a googly face. "It's actually kind of cute."

Theodore swatted her hands away before slumping in his seat dejectedly. "Great! Just great! ...so now _everyone_ knows?"

"Well everyone except Eva anyway. She's not too sharp when it comes to these things. You'd have to _confess_ it to her for her to know it."

At this, Theodore colored even more. He scratched his head furiously in what looked like embarrassment from Tracey's point of view. "W-Well...funny you should say that..."

Tracey looked at him strangely before it hit her. "Wait a sec...don't tell me..." She slid on the bench closer to the boy and stared at him in disbelief. "You didn't!"

The boy let out a nervous laugh and continued to scratch his head.

"Sweet Salazar Slytherin! You _did!_" She laughed and quickly whacked the boy on the back. "Is _that_why you've been acting so strange all morning? You sly dog! You confessed!"

"W-Well...yeah...sort of."

"Sort of?" Tracey's brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'sort of'?"

The dark-haired boy then proceeded to give her an account of what happened the day before when she left them to go to her detention (careful, of course, to leave out the part where he almost lost it and kissed Eva).

"So basically you just _hinted_ it to her?" Tracey said flatly, unimpressed.

Theodore shot her an offended look. "Just? JUST? That took a lot of courage, you know! And besides I _strongly_ hinted it to her."

"Fine, so you _strongly_ hinted it." Tracey's smile resurfaced. "You really like her, don't you? Giving up your position just to make sure she doesn't get hurt by that arse, Bole, again...aren't you just a sweetheart?"

The boy looked away abashed. "Oh, shut it."

She chuckled again. "So what did she say? You think she got it?"

Theodore sighed and went back to pushing his food around on his plate. "I don't know...I'm not sure...I'm sorta second-guessing what I did..." He slumped even more in his seat and added, "To tell you the truth, I'm a little embarrassed..."

"Oh really?" Tracey laughed. "I would never have guessed!"

"It's not funny, Tracey! C'mon, I'm being serious here!"

"Alright, alright! Don't get your wand in a knot." The pony-tailed girl's smile grew. "If it makes you feel any better, I think the two of you look really cute together." And with a pat on his shoulder, she added, "Just leave it to me. I'll figure out how Eva feels about this."

"Are you two talking about Bellator again?" Pansy suddenly butted in.

Theodore shot Tracey a panicked look, begging her to keep their conversation a secret. The latter smirked before putting on her best poker face.

"Didn't your mum ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop, Pansy?" Tracey countered, casually going back to her breakfast. "He was just asking why she isn't down yet and I told him we let her sleep in since she's been having trouble sleeping lately."

The dark-haired boy frowned. "She _has?_"

Tracey quickly nudged him in the ribs.

"Oh...I mean...right, right. That's _exactly_ what Tracey told me!"

The Chaser just rolled her eyes.

Pansy looked at them skeptically before finally biting. "Well _that's_ an understatement," she scoffed while she spread jam on her toast. "She makes a lot of noise just tossing and turning in her bed at night. And when she _does_ fall asleep, she makes other weird noises! It really is bothersome!" The shorthaired girl nudged their other friends. "Isn't that right, Millicent? Daphne?"

Millicent simply nodded as she continued to devour the mess that was her breakfast: three sunny side up eggs with the yolks spewing out onto what looked like strips of bacon, ham, beef, bread and pancakes on the side, all drizzled with honey and covered in jam.

Uninterestedly, Daphne replied, "Nightmares, I suppose."

"It shouldn't come as a surprise," Tracey explained. "I mean, it hasn't been long since the whole dementor incident. Maybe she's still slightly troubled by it."

Pansy, who was not in the least moved, harrumphed. "Then she should go see a shrink or something. I need my beauty sleep you know!"

The dark-haired boy snickered. "Obviously."

Pansy shot him a glare.

"You're one to talk, Pansy," Millicent snorted, her mouth half-filled with mush. "At least _she_doesn't snore."

Theodore shamelessly broke out into boisterous laughter. "_You_ SNORE?"

The shorthaired girl looked genuinely insulted. "I do _NOT_ snore!"

"How would you even know?" Tracey joined in, trying in vain to hold back laughter. "You're asleep!"

The other two boys, Blaise and Draco, who were previously busy debating about the fastest broom model, snickered behind their hands.

"Drakie!" the affronted girl whined, clutching the blonde's arm. "Don't you believe these twats for one second!"

"Well if you don't believe us, why don't you ask Eva?" Daphne smirked. "Here she comes."

Heads whipped around to check for the blonde witch and, true enough, there she was on her way to their table. Theodore stopped laughing and immediately turned a dark shade of red again while Tracey patted his back.

"Morning," Eva greeted, plopping down on a seat next to her pony-tailed friend. "So glad I made it to breakfast." And seeing her friends chuckling to themselves, she asked, "What're you guys laughing about?"

"Just Pansy's snoring," Tracey answered dutifully.

Eva stacked some pancakes and bacon onto her plate. "Oh that," she plainly said, unintentionally issuing more laughter from her friends.

"For the last bloody time I do NOT snore!" Pansy screeched but it fell on deaf ears.

Pretty soon, like the usual breakfast in the Great Hall, the owls arrived with mail. Feathers, packages and letters flew everywhere.

Millicent was happy with her package as usual. It was a box of treacle fudge, just what she asked for in her last letter. But her attention was diverted when she spied both the letter Daphne was holding in her hands and the hint of a smile on the girl's lips.

"Whatcha got there, Daphne?" the chubby Slytherin drawled, sneaking a peak at the parchment. "Another letter from your _boyfriend?_"

Theodore spat out his pumpkin juice in shock. "_Boyfriend?_ YOU?"

"Nott! You disgusting pig!" Pansy shrieked. She had the misfortune of sitting right across from him.

"First of all, I agree with Pansy. That was disgusting," Daphne irritably said as she folded her letter away. "Second, he is just a suitor."

"Well, who is he?" Theodore prodded. "What's his name?"

"Oh, he has a most uncommon name," the girl retorted. "He's called 'None-Of-Your-Business'."

"They've been exchanging letters for a long time now!" Millicent said matter-of-factly, earning a glare from the other girl. "And Daphne's always got this big smile on her face when she reads his letters!"

Daphne pulled on the chubby girl's ear. "I think that's enough out of you, Bulstrode."

"Daphne Greengrass actually _smiling?_" Tracey chuckled. "That's interesting."

"Well how about you, Tracey, dear? Any mail for you?" Daphne shot back snidely. "And by that I mean any new dresses?"

"A frilly powder blue one actually," Pansy volunteered with a vengeance. "I saw her open her package."

The pony-tailed girl rolled her eyes and kicked said package under the table.

Eva was chuckling and plucking feathers from her pancakes when an owl perched gallantly on the table beside her. It was an uncommon species of owl – an almost silver-gray one that had a strong resemblance to a hawk. A velvet colored envelope was neatly tied to its leg. She knew this owl well.

"Oh, a letter from your folks?" Tracey asked.

Eva nodded.

Blaise flipped through his newly acquired business journals, along with a letter from his mother, which he simply scanned seeing as its content was primarily about two things: how her last suitor had "unfortunately obliterated any inclination to invest anymore time or money on him" after he was caught cozying up with one of her friends; and about her newest conquest, a young Duke from Ireland.

The dark-skinned Slytherin crumpled the letter and tossed it aside without so much as a second thought. He turned to his best mate beside him. "I'm hoping you've got better news from _your_parents."

Draco read his letter intently, a frown plastered on his pale face. "Just about the Christmas ball..."

"Right...the ball your family's holding this year," Blaise smirked, picking up his goblet. "Or in Mother's words, 'the ball of the century'. She's completely mental about these social gatherings. She can hardly wait for it." He took a long drink from his goblet before setting it back down. "If she's not talking about her boy toys, she's prattling on about the ball."

The blonde boy said nothing and continued to stare at his letter with a very serious look in his eyes.

"You don't look too happy about the letter, mate," Blaise pointed out. "You alright?"

Draco turned to his friend. "Guess who's invited to the ball."

Tracey tried to smooth out the silver bird's glistening feathers when it snapped at her hand. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed. "It almost bit my fingers off!" The creature glared at her and she glared right back. "I swear, that thing hates me."

"Sorry..." Eva said distractedly. She was still reading her letter. "Mythrill's one proud creature..."

The letter from her parents was long, unlike most letters they sent. It started off with an inquiry about her class standing, and then whether she had received the tomes her tutor, Mr. Burke, had sent her. But upon further reading, four words immediately stood out in her mother's neat and wispy handwriting.

"Christmas ball" and "Malfoy family".

She didn't know why but she felt oddly uncomfortable with the idea of being invited to such an occasion. Another party with _that_ kind of crowd...not to mention the Malfoy family was one of the most prestigious families in the wizarding world. Surely the crème de la crème of their society would be there.

...Draco would be there, too, of course. So maybe it wouldn't be quite as unpleasant as she thought it would be.

Her parents mentioned in the letter that they were (only recently) made aware of the fact that she was well acquainted with the sole Malfoy heir, Draco Lucius Malfoy. A little bird had told them and she was chastised for not conveying this highly important piece of information to them personally. Such was its importance for it concerned one of their biggest competitions both in business and in the Ministry: the Malfoy family.

"Interesting." Blaise smirked, taking a look at Draco's letter before handing it back. "Sizing up the competition, eh?"

Draco scowled. "Well it's definitely not because they want to make friends."

Draco knew his father well. Very well. Inviting the Bellator family, particularly the patriarch, Brutus Bellator, was a strategic move to get to know his rival better. It was just like his father to make every move on the chessboard count.

Whether the ball was going to be an agreeable one for Draco still remained to be seen. Surely his father would be dragging him around to join in on old men talking business...or shady individuals whispering about shadier things. It was of course his responsibility as the only child to learn and master all of his father's work (all, including the shady parts)...but that didn't automatically mean he enjoyed it.

Blasie chuckled. "This ball's going to be interesting."

Draco harrumphed before turning to his fellow blonde. "Bellator, I heard your family is invited to our upcoming ball."

Eva finished giving the temperamental owl some food before it flew off, leaving more feathers on her plate. "Ah...yes...my parents wrote about that, too," she replied tentatively. "Thank you for the invitation."

Theodore immediately perked up. "Really? You're going to the Malfoys' ball, Eva? Then that means we get to see each other during the break!"

"You're going to be there, too? That's great, Theodore!" The blonde witch beamed. Now she knew it definitely wasn't going to be unpleasant to go. Innocently, she added, "That means I won't miss you as much during the break!"

The dark-haired boy instantly colored for all to see. Draco harrumphed a second time.

"Err...I...umm...B-B-Blaise is gonna be there, too," Theodore stammered in an effort to recover himself. "And Pansy and Daphne."

"Not this year, sorry," Daphne answered. "It's our great grandmother's 140th birthday. All the Greengrasses are required to attend unfortunately. I swear, that woman just won't die."

"Well y'know what they say about bad Grass, right?" Millicent chortled. "They're hard to kill."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Millicent."

"Anyhoo! You won't be seeing me there either. Me and Tracey aren't invited," the chubby girl continued. "Gotta be upper class to get into those kinds of parties. Not that I mind. All I'm after is the grub!" She wrinkled her nose. "At those kinds of parties you gotta be all nice and...and proper."

"Just as well," Tracey piped in, chewing on another strip of bacon. "I'd rather have _Crucio_ used on me than wear frilly dresses or sparkly gowns. You guys have fun though!"

Eva's lips curled into a frown. "Now I_really_don't want the Christmas break to arrive."

Tracey's brows furrowed. "Aww...why's that?"

The blonde threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly. "I'll miss you way too much, Tracey!" 

* * *

><p>After announcing the load of work the students were to finish before the upcoming break and enduring the groans surfacing from the students, Professor Flitwick dismissed the class, urging each student to start with their work immediately.<p>

"So have you invited her yet?" Tracey asked, walking out of the classroom with Theodore.

The tall boy looked genuinely confused. "What?"

"Eva. Hogsmeade date," she replied simply. "Have you asked her to go with you yet?"

His cheeks burned up and he immediately looked away. "W-Who said I'd be asking her?"

The pony-tailed girl rolled her eyes and gave him a knowing look.

He then scratched his head. "I'm just waiting for the right time..."

"There's no such thing as the right time. Why don't you ask her now?"

Theodore looked straight ahead. He could see Eva busy talking to Draco about something. "She's a little preoccupied at the moment..."

"Your broom's affecting your performance during trainings," Draco gruffly told his fellow blonde as they rounded the corner, making their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts. "You should get a new one and soon."

"That's the plan," the witch replied. "Although, I'm not sure which model I should get."

"Don't get a Nimbus 2000, obviously. It goes at a snail's pace compared to the new models currently on sale. Even the Nimbus 2001 got left behind." A smirk appeared on the boy's face. "Since _money's_ not a problem for you, the Firebolt would be your best option."

Eva chuckled lightly. "Yeah, money's not the problem. Something else might be though."

Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure my parents are happy about me playing for our Quidditch team," she explained. "When I first wrote to them about it, all I got was a reprimand for not asking for their permission to join." She paused. "Then, after the dementor incident...well, let's just say that buying a new and highly expensive broom to continue playing is asking for another row with my folks."

The boy said nothing as they rounded another corner.

A moment of silence passed between them before Eva realized what she had done. "I'm sorry..." she said uneasily. "I didn't mean to ramble on about those kinds of things again..."

She was indeed back on speaking terms with Draco, but some things she remembered from their monumental fight still got to her...and probably to him, too. One of the things he had resented about her before was how she had gotten him to do "more than coaching", how she had gotten him to "yap about his family as if they were such good friends".

She never wanted to make him feel used or betrayed again, so she always tried to be careful with what she said or what she did around him. Their friendship was still healing and talking about personal things such as families was something she felt Draco probably wasn't ready to do yet.

"Forget what I said," the witch nervously continued, brushing a stray strand of hair behind an ear. "It's _stupid_."

When they reached the stairway leading to their classroom, their conversation was cut short (probably for the best) when they very nearly bumped into a group of students.

Three well-known Gryffindors.

"Oi!" Ron snapped, almost losing his balance from avoiding the collision. "Watch where you're going, Malfoy!"

Eva looked anxiously from the three Gryffindors to the blonde boy beside her. Hermione looked just as anxious while Harry glared daggers at Draco.

"Oh dear," Tracey muttered to Theodore. They were coming up from behind. "Looks like another fight's about to erupt."

Draco stared the Gryffindors down with resentment in his eyes. He opened his mouth, as if to snap something back, but quickly closed it again. Then, to everyone's astonishment, he simply glared at them for the last time and walked off.

Tracey and Theodore, who were watching from a distance, stared in amazement while the Golden Trio exchanged confused looks with an equally surprised Eva.

"Well that's a first," Harry spoke up, scratching his head in bewilderment. "Malfoy actually passing up an opportunity to throw an insult at us?"

"That was..." Hermione struggled with words. "Bizarre."

Eva nodded, excused herself and went after her fellow blonde. That was bizarre indeed.

"Draco!" she called out as she caught sight of him in the hallway.

The boy slowed his walk until Eva reached his side.

"Draco...I..."

"It's _not_ stupid," he simply said, his mercurial eyes looking straight ahead.

Eva stared up at him in astonishment before finally breaking into a smile. 

* * *

><p>Their D.A.D.A. class was very different that day. Professor Lupin led the students to the staff room where a huge wardrobe was waiting for them. It had a mirror in front and a single knob; and, according to the professor, a creature called a "boggart" was hiding inside.<p>

There was a short discussion on boggarts. They were creatures that took the form of a person's greatest fear and the charm that would deal with them was "Riddikulus". Knowing the incantation and waving the wand around wasn't enough though. One had to think of something funny or (as the incantation itself implies) something _ridiculous_ to counter the scare factor of the creature.

Neville Longbottom was asked to step up and face the creature in the wardrobe first. Now this boy, although belonging to the House of Gryffindor, was frightened by a lot of things. But nothing scared him more than the Head of the Slytherin House himself, Professor Severus Snape.

Slowly, Professor Lupin set the creature free and, true enough, it took the form of the Potions master. The class honestly thought Neville wouldn't be able to even spit the incantation out, but the Gryffindor proved them wrong when he turned the boggart into a Professor Snape clad in old women's clothes, a red handbag clutched in one hand.

The class erupted in laughter and students quickly lined up to have their turn.

"This is interesting stuff," Theodore chuckled to his best mates as they moved forward in the line. "We get to find out people's secret fears!"

"You forget we're going to find out about yours, too, _Dory_," Blaise smirked.

"Although that's not too hard to guess," Draco chipped in. "His boggart is probably going to turn into books...or peanut butter. Or both."

"That's not funny," Theodore pouted. "You know I'm deathly allergic to those!"

Millicent was up. She stood her ground as the boggart turned into a gigantic red and black striped snake, which was quite ironic considering she belonged to the House of Slytherin. It hissed and bore its fangs at the chubby girl. Her wand hand shook as she shouted, "Riddikulus!"

To her delight, the snake quickly turned into a peppermint candy cane. Proudly, Millicent stepped aside while Pansy came up next.

Eva turned to Tracey who stood behind her. "Look, it's Pansy's turn! I wonder what the boggart will turn into now."

Tracey laughed. "Probably into her precious little 'Drakie' snogging with another girl!"

The boggart registered the shorthaired girl's presence and quickly turned into something the class wasn't quite expecting from the tough Slytherin harpy.

It turned into a fluffy, adorable pink little pygmy puff.

There was a moment of silence before students burst out laughing again.

Theodore laughed the hardest. "A _pygmy puff?_ How the bloody hell does a pygmy puff _scare_ someone?"

Pansy let out a shrill scream when the fluffy creature started to wobble helplessly towards her. She was just about to make a run for it when Professor Lupin intervened.

"Miss Parkinson, the incantation!" he instructed, all the while trying his best not to laugh.

The shorthaired girl hesitantly stood in place until she managed to get her wand hand up. "R-R-Riddikulus!"

The boggart consequently turned into a little mannequin with golden hair.

Pansy stomped to the side to make way for the next person. Her face was a deep shade of red. Humiliation at its finest.

"I didn't take you for the type to be afraid of a ball of fluff, Parkinson!" Theodore teased.

The shorthaired girl shot her friends threatening looks. "Shut it! I had a traumatic experience with one, alright?"

Blaise turned to his snickering blonde best mate. "At least now you know what you can use to ward her off."

The class settled down when the next person stepped up.

"Oh, it's Eva's turn!" Theodore exclaimed.

Any trace of a smile was now completely gone from Professor Lupin's face. He looked very grave…very serious when he quickly realized what this particular student's boggart could take the shape of, considering the recent events that had taken place. He readied his own wand and nodded to the blonde as she took her place.

Eva, still smiling from Pansy's encounter with the creature, clutched her wand firmly in her hand and waited for the boggart to change its form.

For a while, nothing happened. The golden-haired mannequin sat perfectly still in the middle of the room, staring right back at all the students with empty, emotionless gray eyes.

Eva was about to ask the professor whether there was something wrong with the boggart when something started to distort, shift and grow from the doll's back with a sickening cracking sound.

Roots were clawing their way out of the doll like bony fingers. These quickly grew and grew, intertwining with each other, twisting and writhing, surrounding the motionless doll and taking on a shape that was familiar to all. When the movements ceased, the doll was no longer sitting on the classroom floor.

And Eva was no longer smiling.

The golden-haired doll was sitting inside a large wardrobe made of wood the color of deep burgundy, the doors of which were flung open and decorated with ornate carvings and brass handles.

The blonde witch stood frozen in place.

"Is this a joke?" one of the students shouted. "Bellator afraid of a _cabinet?_"

Laughter resurfaced in the class. Professor Lupin, however, maintained a serious but perplexed expression on his face, just like most of Eva's friends.

"The incantation, Miss Bellator," the professor reminded. "Riddikulus."

The students continued to laugh when she made no move.

"What's wrong with her?"  
>"Look! She's not even moving!"<br>"Maybe it's splinters she's afraid of!"  
>"What's with these Slytherins and their fears?"<p>

But Eva heard none of these. In her head, she was engulfed by a deafening silence and she was alone. In the room, she saw only the wardrobe and the golden-haired doll inside it with gray eyes that were suddenly no longer vacant, no longer emotionless.

What she saw in the doll's eyes terrified her. What she saw made her feel faint.

_"Do you remember anything in your past...anything that the dementors could have used against you?"_

What she saw was her own fear...her own fear mirrored in the doll's eyes. Her own fear magnified as the doors of the wardrobe slowly started to close. Her own desperation as the light inside the wardrobe diminished inch by inch. Her own dread as darkness swept over her.

Her own panic pulsing through as the doors creaked to a complete close.

And she was trapped.

"Riddikulus!"

The wardrobe turned into a cuckoo clock. The doors swung open and a mechanical yellow bird popped in and out, much to the amusement of the class.

Professor Lupin sighed in relief. Her boggart was not what he had thought. "Well done, Miss Bellator." He flashed her a reassuring smile before turning back to the class. "Alright, next!"

Eva joined Pansy and Millicent on one side of the room. She remained silent despite being questioned and teased for the strange appearance of her boggart. The color had noticeably drained from her face and her wand hand still shook slightly. The rest of the period was effectively tuned out so it came as a surprise to her when their D.A.D.A. class ended far too early and people started filing out of the room.

Tracey told her it had something to do with Harry Potter's boggart. It had turned into a dementor. Professor Lupin had stepped in thankfully, causing the creature to turn into some sort of circular object. A plate perhaps. Or maybe a wheel of cheese. Well, whatever it was, the professor looked out of sorts. He dismissed them early.

Theodore immediately asked her if she was all right and noted that she still looked a tad peaky. They suggested she skip practices that day and rest up, but Eva insisted she was fine and that she was well enough to practice with her team.

She just needed to take her mind off things and Quidditch would be the key to doing just that. And for a while, it worked. Quidditch got her smiling and laughing again. For a while, she forgot about everything: the Forbidden Forest, the dementors, the talk with Professor Lupin, and even the boggart.

She forgot about everything until she laid her head on her pillow that night and dreamed of the wardrobe with the brass handles and the motionless golden-haired doll she had become. 

* * *

><p><strong>AN: First of all, of course you've noticed that this chapter is entitled "Boggart: Part 1". The second part is coming up in the next chapter. Originally though, I included both parts in Chapter 19 since I wanted Chapter 20 to be all about the Christmas break and the Malfoy ball. BUT! When I checked the number of words for the original Chapter 19, I saw that it was just…whoa…too much to handle for _one_ chapter. HAHAHA. So I figured it would be more "reader-friendly" to split Chapter 19 into two different chapters.**

**Anyway, in the next chapter, discover why Eva's boggart is a wardrobe. And see whether Theodore actually gets to go on a date with Eva during their Hogsmeade trip. Teehee! ;) I'll be posting Chapter 20 sooner than you think! :)**

**As always, thank you so much for the reviews! I'd like to take this opportunity to just do a shout out to my awesome reviewers!**

**_To Alphenawolf and__xXMizz Alec VolturiXx:_ Thank you for the ever so constant support! You guys are just awesome and I always look forward to your comments! :)**

**_To KagsChann:_ Wow! Thank you so much for the long review! I loved reading every word of it and I'm just delighted to hear that I've inspired you to use Theodore as well. Since he wasn't really given much "life" in the books, he's a really fun character to work on! And yes, I do get paranoid, too, sometimes. I worry that if I take too long to post, I'd lose the interest of the readers. Hope that doesn't happen anytime soon to either of us. HAHA. Pottermore is awesome. You should check it out soon, I mean if you haven't yet! :)**

**_To shadowcatpryde:_Thank you! I'll try to keep my chapters long and, of course, interesting! :D**

**_To jojia:_ It's great to hear from you again! And it's great to be working on this fic again, too. Sorry for the long wait! Hope my next chapters are worth it. :)**


	20. Boggart: Part 2

**CHAPTER 20  
><strong>**"Boggart: Part 2"**

When the first snowflake fell in the night, it landed on the unforgiving Whomping Willow and was unfortunately broken up. But by morning, the ground and even the trees were completely covered by a thick blanket of white wonder. It was a beautiful sight to behold for the students who were all out and ready for their trip to Hogsmeade.

Eva looked around in amazement at the winter wonderland that was their school grounds. She scooped up some snow in her hands, admired it and threw it up in the air.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Tracey asked smiling from ear to ear, just as pleased by the weather. She collapsed on the snow laughing and proceeded to make a snow angel. "Come on, Eva!"

Eva all too happily collapsed right beside her friend and started to make her own snow angel.

Pansy, on the other hand, irritably rubbed her hands together before stuffing them into the pockets of her coat.

"Hmph! Bunch of retar–"

Whack! Her insult was cut short by a snowball to the head.

"What in the–!" She looked around with murder written all over her face. "WHO THE BLOODY HELL DID THAT?"

Millicent snickered as she made another snowball in her hands.

"Bulstrode!" Pansy snapped, taking menacing steps toward the chubby girl. "I'll kill you!"

"Now if only those balls were actually pygmy puffs," Theodore chuckled as he and the other two boys watched Pansy get pelted by more snowballs.

Daphne adjusted her fur scarf and walked ahead of the group. "How immature."

"Come on, girls!" the dark-haired boy called out. "We better get a move on if we wanna make the most out of this trip." He threw Tracey a meaningful look before walking on with his two best mates.

Tracey and Eva got to their feet and brushed the snow from their clothes, admiring their snow angels as they did.

"So which stores do you want to visit first, Tracey?" Eva asked as the two started on the path to the village, right behind their friends.

"Spintwitches definitely. I need to buy new gloves." The pony-tailed girl brushed the snow from her hair. "Our last practice game ruined my only pair."

"Perfect. I need to canvass for a new broom." The blonde chuckled. "I don't think my old one's going to last another second on the pitch, much less in a match."

Tracey glanced at their tall friend in front who'd been constantly sneaking looks at them. Her smile widened and she linked arms with her best friend. "Say, Eva...what do you think of our new team line up?" she asked in a very casual tone. "I mean, what with Theodore's switch and all..."

The blonde sighed. "Well...it's going to take a lot of getting used to," she said. "I really miss having Theodore as a fellow Chaser. When it was the three of us, it was just sort of perfect, you know?"

Tracey chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Montague's all right and all, but he's definitely no Theodore Nott. Although, to his credit, Montague _has_ been improving a lot after I agreed to coach him."

"_You're_ coaching him?" Eva's lips quirked into a smile. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, he asked me last week. He's a bit ham-fisted, but he's got skills, that's for sure. He just needs a little more training." Tracey cleared her throat. "So anyway...Theodore..." The sly grin had returned. "Did he tell you exactly _why _he switched positions?"

Eva frowned slightly. "Someone had to keep Lucian Bole in line." Then her frown was slowly replaced by another smile. "I think what Theodore did was really nice. He's such a great guy."

"He _is_, isn't he?" Tracey looked at her friend expectantly. This was it – the moment of truth.

The blonde nodded enthusiastically. "He's one of the greatest people I know! I mean, how many guys would give up their most cherished position _just _to make sure that the team wouldn't end up losing another match?"

Tracey did a double take "Wait, what?"

"If Bole acted up again, he would cost us another match! And Theodore made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that that doesn't happen again." Eva's smile grew in sincere admiration for her tall friend. "Now _that's_ a real team player."

Tracey's brows furrowed. "Wait...so you think he _only_ switched positions just to make sure the _team_ doesn't lose again?"

"Well of course," Eva looked at her friend strangely. "Why else would he give up his position?"

The pony-tailed girl stared at her friend in disbelief before chuckling and shaking her head.

"What?" Eva asked, completely oblivious.

"Oh, nothing." Tracey, still shaking her head, smiled to herself. _"Just that you're probably the most clueless person I know when it comes to boys."_

"Eva! Tracey!" Theodore called out excitedly from the front. "Would you just take a look at that?"

The two girls gazed in awe at the village before them. Hogsmeade now looked like it came straight out of a Christmas card with its snow-covered roofs, glittering Christmas decorations hanging from every shop, beautiful floating lights, and merry songs sung by carolers.

"Beautiful..." Eva breathed out.

"Amazing!" Tracey added, both of them smiling widely.

"Yeah, yeah," Pansy butted in impatiently. "Let's just meet up somewhere in an hour. Bulstrode's whining about Honeydukes again."

Millicent pouted. "But they're selling special Christmas cakes and chocolate!"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Whatever. _Daphne_ will be more than happy to take you there."

Daphne crossed her arms. "And why do _I_ get to play babysitter?"

"Because..." The shorthaired girl slinked over to Draco and attached herself to his arm. "Drakie and I will be busy," she cooed, batting her eyelashes at him and making him squirm uncomfortably. "We'll be going to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop for a bit. Isn't that right, Drakie?"

"Sorry, Pansy. Maybe next time," Blaise interjected. "We've got plans."

Draco mouthed him a "thanks".

"Plans?" the shorthaired girl scowled, holding on tighter to the blonde's arm. "What do you mean 'plans'? There is _nothing_ to do here in this cold, boring wasteland!"

"Actually, we're meeting up with Charles Warrington. He and his friends are holding a top secret Slytherin only party at the Shrieking Shack later."

"The Shrieking Shack?" Tracey asked with alarm in her voice. "Are they _mad?_ That place is _off_ limits!"

Millicent shuddered. "Not to mention _haunted_."

"And therefore _unfrequented._" Blaise smirked, patting the unusually bulky bag he was bringing with him. "Perfect for stocking up on firewhiskey!"

Pansy and Daphne smirked right back. "Well then count _us_ in."

"Err...I'll catch up with you guys later," said Theodore. "I just need to...uhhh...buy some stuff."

"Alright. We'll see you later, mate." The dark-skinned boy then turned to the others. "You girls can tag along. It _is _a Slytherin party after all." He checked his silver pocket watch. "It'll be starting in more or less an hour."

With a wave, Blaise, Draco and the two girls walked off in another direction.

"Wait! Who's coming with me to Honeydukes?" Millicent whined.

With a sigh, the other three accompanied the chubby girl to the sweets shop. It wasn't all bad though. They got the chance to look at the various holiday sales and curios, and to admire the different shops at Hogsmeade.

Honeydukes was also a spectacular sight to behold. The inside of the shop was all the more festive, with shiny Christmas ornaments and draperies everywhere, along with mouthwatering cakes and chocolates, ginger houses with charmed ginger families in them and other sweets that could give you diabetes just by looking at them.

While waiting for Millicent to finish paying, Tracey turned to Eva. "What do you think of the party? You wanna go?"

"I don't know..." the blonde witch chuckled, admiring the ginger houses. "I'm not so sure it's such a good idea. Firewhiskey and underage students don't usually make a good pair." She caught Tracey looking disappointed though and quickly asked, "Do _you_ want to go?"

"Sort of..." The pony-tailed girl smiled sheepishly. "It just sounds wicked! ...does that make me a bad influence?"

Theodore munched on a gingerbread man and said, "It'll be fun!"

The blonde, however, wasn't so convinced. "But what if we get caught?"

Theodore waved the idea away with his hand. "Don't worry, we won't! Warrington is known for throwing the best rule-breaking parties on campus..._and_ getting away with it!" He chuckled as he recalled all the parties his friend had thrown over the years. "He once threw a party in the _Great Hall_ for crying out loud! In the middle of the _night!_" He was simply in awe of the older Warrington boy. "He's a whiz with silencing charms. And besides, people don't usually go near the Shrieking Shack."

"Yeah," Eva chuckled lightly. "For a _reason!_"

Tracey put on her best version of the puppy dog face and tugged on the blonde's coat. "Can we go? Please, please, please!"

Eva felt her resolve slowly melt away, especially when Theodore joined in. After a bit more shameless pleading from her friends, she sighed. "Alright, alright."

"Yes!" Tracey and Theodore gave each other high fives.

Eva smiled. "It _does_ sound fun. But let's finish everything we need to do first, okay?"

After Honeydukes, the four of them headed over to Spintwitches for their Quidditch errands. Tracey got her gloves, Theodore checked for the newest gear on sale, Eva looked around in the broom section and Millicent happily munched on her spoils outside the shop. When they had left, Tracey inconspicuously elbowed Theodore in the side while Millicent was chatting Eva up about the candy she bought.

"I did some fishing around for you," she whispered. "Asked our little blonde friend some things."

Theodore's ears immediately perked up. "…and?"

The pony-tailed girl had to contain a laugh. "Sorry, but she's _completely _clueless! I wouldn't rely on just hinting it to her. You'll have to be more direct with her in the future."

Feeling dejected, the boy sighed. "I see..."

"Don't give up, Nott!" She patted his back and smiled. "Here...I'm giving you an early Christmas gift."

Before Theodore could even ask, Tracey ran up to the blonde.

"Hey, Eva! I just remembered! I need to go buy some...some things for my mum."

"Oh, okay then. We'll come with you," the blonde offered.

"Oh, no, no! It's fine!" Tracey quickly replied, dragging their chubby friend with her. "Millicent can come with me. You guys go get some food or something."

"Me?" Millicent's brows furrowed. "Why should _I _go with you?"

"I'll be passing by Honeydukes again!"

The chubby girl's face lit up. "Sold!"

Tracey waved goodbye with Millicent flanking her side. "We'll see you guys at the party, okay?"

With that, the two girls disappeared at the corner, leaving Eva and Theodore dumbstruck.

"So..." Eva started. "Want to get a bite to eat?"

"Err...yeah, sure." Theodore scratched his head. His cheeks were starting to get flushed. Tracey just left him alone. With Eva. Did that mean they were on a date? "Err...how about Madam Puddifoot's?"

The blonde chuckled. "Really? I never took you for the type that likes that kind of place, Theodore."

"J-Just to try something different!" the boy replied defensively. Flustered, he started to ramble and panic. "But we don't have to go there if you don't want to. If you want, we can just go to Three Broomsticks because, I mean, yeah, Three Broomsticks is a nice place. It's a great place!"

"Theodore–"

"I mean, just if you want to go there. But yeah, it's probably better if we just go to Three Broomsticks. It's a fantastic place! What was I thinking anyway?"

Eva smiled. "Theodore, I–"

"I heard Madam Puddifoot's not even that good! I don't know why I even suggested that! You know what? Let's just go to Three Broom–"

"Theodore!" The blonde held his arm and laughed at his silliness. "It's _okay_ if we go to Madam Puddifoot's!"

The dark-haired boy looked flabbergasted. "R-Really?"

"It's nice to try something new once in a while, right?"

And before Theodore knew it, the two of them were in front of the teashop and he was sweating profusely. He tried to act cool and composed, but there was just no denying that he had turned into a nervous teenage wreck.

He'd been in that teashop _countless_ times with other girls, even during their first and second years when he and his best mates would sneak off to Hogsmeade, but he _never _felt as nervous as he did now...which was just funny considering Eva wasn't even flirting him or batting her eyelashes at him or clutching his arm or "accidentally" bumping into him like what the other girls would do whenever they were on a date.

Eva was just so easy-going and friendly and sweet that it almost made him feel like he wasn't supposed to be conjuring romantic thoughts about her in his head.

But of course, it was too late for that already.

He held the door open for her and just the smell of her hair when she sailed right by him caused him to almost freeze in place and forget what they were doing there exactly. The shop was crowded and so they sat themselves in the only free place – a little booth in a corner of the shop, which was apparently designed for teenagers who were in the mood for a snogging session.

This of course meant that they were sitting far too close to each other to _not_ to be mistaken as a couple.

Settling in, Theodore could feel the blonde's thigh brushing against his every now and then. He had to remove his scarf (it was getting too hot in the shop, at least for him) and had to squeeze himself to the other side of the seat to minimize the brushing action and therefore retain his last bit of sanity. But, it wasn't as if he didn't like the feeling...

Oh, he _liked_ it alright...probably a little_ too much_ for his own good.

"Wow...lots of couples here," Eva observed.

Almost all of the couples in the teashop were either snogging or cuddling, making Theodore even more nervous and self-conscious...which made him even _more_ fidgety...which then caused _more_ brushing action with the blonde's thigh...which THEN made him even MORE nervous. It was a vicious cycle made worse by the fact that Eva was now looking at him strangely with those cute and innocent mercurial eyes of hers.

"Are you feeling all right, Theodore? You look a little flushed..."

"Y-Y-Yeah, I'm just peachy!" The dark-haired boy shakily wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Is it just me or is it getting really hot in here?"

The music playing in the shop seemed like it came straight out of a Valentine's Day record. It was definitely the kind of music couples snog to and looking at the blonde's lips, he could tell they were _devastatingly_ snoggable.

"You look like you're coming down with something." Eva quickly placed one hand on his forehead and the other on her own. "You're pretty warm. Are you _sure_ you're feeling fine?"

Her hand was so soft and her face was just so near...just like that one walk after their Quidditch training...just like that one walk that turned into that almost-kiss. Everything – the couples snogging everywhere, the romantic music playing in the background, the small booth they were stuck with and the girl sitting beside him (oh, _especially _the girl sitting beside him) – was so overwhelming that it made him want to just screw his timidity and screw his sanity and screw his manners and wrap his arms around her and pull her close and kiss her senseless and...

Theodore stood up, his face a violent shade of red, and wrapped his scarf around his equally red neck.

"Where are you going, Theodore?" Eva asked, looking up at him in confusion. "We haven't ordered yet."

"I-I changed my mind! Let's go to Three Broomsticks instead!"

"Oh, but this place is actually quite nice."

Theodore gently pulled the girl with him. "Trust me, it's better at the Three Broomsticks!"

Once back outside and freed from the teashop atmosphere thick with raging hormones, the dark-haired boy immediately felt the tension dissipate from his body. The cold wind and the wide open space was just what he needed to get him breathing and thinking normally again. His heartbeats started to slow down at a regular pace and he stopped feeling like such a pervert.

All was well. At least for now.

Eva looked up at him with concern written all over her face. "What was _that_ about?"

He timidly scratched his head. "I guess I was just feeling a little...claustrophobic in there. Sorry about that..."

The blonde stared at him before chuckling. "It's fine. Actually it _was _a little awkward with all those people snogging in there."

Theodore couldn't agree more.

At the Three Broomsticks, it was as if everything had gone back to normal. Theodore was back to speaking in complete and sensible sentences without making too much of a fool out of himself and they were just having fun. Their conversation was light and simple, and Theodore wasn't overwhelmed by urges to do certain things he knew he would regret doing this early in their friendship. Now that he was thinking clearly, he knew for a fact that Eva certainly wouldn't appreciate being snogged senseless (among _other_ things) when she didn't even have the slightest clue about him fancying her.

Theodore just smiled while Eva talked animatedly about the beautiful villages just like Hogsmeade back in Italy. He realized he was actually content with just hanging out with Eva in a light and casual way. Madam Puddifoot's was way too intense for him...at least for now. In the future, he'll be more prepared.

But in the meantime, there wasn't any need to rush things, now was there?

They were having so much fun just talking and laughing that they only remembered the Slytherin party about an hour later. After paying for their butterbeers, they set off for the Shrieking Shack and just stood outside the barbwired fence surrounding the building for a while. It looked so desolate and quiet that it was so hard to believe a _party_ was actually raging inside it.

"Do you think it's really haunted, Theodore?"

The dark-haired boy shrugged. "Well, some say they hear strange noises and even screams coming from it every now and then even though it's been abandoned for years now. But, who knows?"

The walk towards the shack was eerie. Everything around them was so quiet and still. All they could hear was their breathing and their soft footsteps in the snow. Since it was an open area, the wind blew stronger and colder, sending a strange chill down their spines. Instinctively, Eva found herself sticking closer to Theodore and clinging to his arm for comfort.

"Don't worry," Theodore smiled. "There'll be a couple of people there already. Safety in numbers!"

The steps to the front door squeaked and the door itself looked like it was ready to crumble into dust. Theodore dared to peer into a window and saw only darkness inside. Going back to the door, he brought out his wand and whispered the password given by Warrington.

And just like that, the door slowly creaked open to reveal an uninhabited dusty room. Theodore closed the door behind them while Eva looked around.

The old furniture was covered with moldy sheets. The faded wallpaper was peeling off. There were scratch marks on the wall. Cobwebs decorated almost every nook and cranny, and the wood was obviously rotting or infested with termites. Everything was still dead silent save for the floorboards that creaked with every step they took.

"Are you _sure_ there are people here?" Eva asked quietly so as not to disturb any being residing in that room. She was getting gooseflesh just standing there and she had just about half a mind to leave.

There were three doors in the room and Theodore stood in front of the middle one. With another wave of his wand, the door opened and, to Eva's relief, party music quickly flooded out of it.

"Alright! Nott's here!" she heard someone shout inside the other room. "Now it's a party!"

Stepping into the large middle room revealed a completely new world. There was a fire burning brightly in the fireplace. One table was full of snacks and bottles of firewhiskey. Students were dancing, laughing, drinking or doing all three to the upbeat music.

A good-looking Slytherin boy almost as tall as Theodore walked up to them carrying a bottle of firewhiskey in each hand.

"Great you could make it, Nott!" the boy said, ushering them in and pushing a bottle into Theodore's hand. "Thought for a while you were gonna flake on us!"

"No way, mate! This party's wicked! As expected from you!" He clapped the older boy on the back. "And good job with the charms! It's silent as a grave out there!"

The boy looked curiously at Eva. "Hey, hey, hey! What's this? Your date?" He smirked. "That might be a potential problem, my friend." He pointed to a group of girls scowling in one corner of the room. Eva recognized some of them from her past coaching sessions with Theodore. In fact, they were the ones she had sent away when they were crowding an injured Theodore. "Some of your fangirls are here. I don't think they'll be too happy about that."

Indeed, the group of girls were glaring daggers right at the blonde.

Theodore quickly shook his head. "N-No! No! This is my friend, Eva. Eva Bellator." He turned to the blonde witch. "Eva, this is Charles Warrington, the only guy mad enough to hold a party in _this _shack!"

Warrington's smirk grew. "Oh, I know her. The famous Malfoy look-alike." He laughed. "Your twin's over there by the fire."

Eva tried to ignore the dirty looks from Theodore's fan club as they approached their group of friends. Draco and Blaise each had a bottle of firewhiskey with them and were relaxing on a couch. Daphne was surrounded by boys who all looked completely smitten and Pansy, still clinging onto the apple of her eye, was sitting on the armrest beside Draco.

"You're late, Nott!" Blaise shouted over the loud music. He looked at Eva and then back at Theodore. "I see you two are together. Again."

Draco said nothing and took another drink from his whiskey.

"Tracey had something to do. Millicent went with her," Eva replied as she looked around the room. "By the way, where _are_ they?"

"I'm sure they'll be here in a while. Go get yourselves some drinks!"

"I've got mine riiiight here," Theodore chuckled, taking a swig from his firewhiskey. "Why don't you take a seat, Eva? Want me to get you something from the table?"

The blonde witch sat down on one of the couches. "Just soda please. Thanks!"

"Soda?" Pansy snorted, almost spilling her own drink. "We're at a party and all you want is _soda?_"

Eva shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Sorry, I don't really...errr...drink."

The shorthaired girl laughed and flirtatiously draped an arm around Draco. "Can you believe her, Drakie? We appear to have a nun here!"

Draco pushed the arm away. "Mind your own business, Parkinson."

Pansy looked hurt for a while but when Theodore came back with Eva's drink, along with the host of the party, a sly grin crept onto her face.

"Hey, Charles! How about we turn this party up a notch with a little game?"

Intrigued, the boy crossed his arms. "What game did you have in mind?"

Pansy slowly stood up. "Well...we have all this firewhiskey here. How about we play a little _drinking_ game?"

Warrington quickly walked over to the shorthaired girl and threw an arm around her shoulders. "I've always liked the way you think, Parkinson."

The host gathered everyone around for the game and discussed how it would work. There would be two teams and each team consisting of five members would have to successfully levitate some bracelets (courtesy of some girls) and fit them onto the neck of an empty bottle. Each time one member messed up, the whole team had to drink a shot of firewhiskey. Each time the enemy team got the bracelet on the bottle first, the whole team also had to take a shot of firewhiskey.

And should both teams get it done at the same time, everyone had to drink a shot.

Warrington rounded up his team and decided to play against Theodore's team, which consisted of Draco, Blaise and Pansy. Daphne refused the invitation to play seeing as she had no intention of making a fool out of herself and was rather engaged with the other boys at the party.

"You need one more player, Nott," Warrington smirked. "If you can't find another player, you'll have to do double shots each time you mess up!"

"Eva, why don't _you_ join?" Pansy asked in a sickeningly sweet tone.

The blonde witch chuckled uneasily. "No, no, it's okay. I'd much rather watch."

"Come on! It's just a game!"

"Don't force her if she doesn't want to, Parkinson," Theodore chipped in. He surveyed the room for another volunteer. "We can find someone else."

"Come on, Bellator!" the host said, motioning for the other people to join in a chant. "Play! Play! Play!"

The shorthaired girl pulled the blonde up from the couch. "Don't be such a stick in the mud! Come on!"

"Parkinson, leave her alone," Draco sternly said, but his voice was overpowered by the crowd's chanting.

"No! Really!" Eva exclaimed, trying to pull away. "I'm no good at these games!"

Pansy smiled viciously. "Nonsense."

The crowd cheered when Eva was forcibly lined up with her friends.

"Alright!" Warrington smiled. "Let the game begin!"

Everything was going fine during the first round. Theodore's team was doing quite well, especially since Draco and Blaise were exceptionally skilled with levitation. They shouldn't have had any trouble since Pansy was also well practiced, but when it came to her turn, she dropped the bracelet too far from the bottle.

"Oops," she laughed. "Guess we get a shot."

The team was handed shots of firewhiskey, which was downed quite easily by four of them. Eva stared at her shot for a while before finally drinking it. She almost gagged afterwards. She felt the liquid burn down her throat. Just one shot was actually quite strong. Not to mention she never did like the taste of whiskey.

She came after Pansy and easily fit the bracelet onto their bottle, causing the other team to down a shot.

By the next round, the other team was getting fired up. They fit the bracelet in before Theodore could and his team had to drink another shot. Blaise and Draco continued to perform well. Pansy, however, missed the bottle again.

Eva's turn was successful although her wand started to waver in her hand.

During the third, fourth and fifth rounds, Pansy continued to miss the bottle.

"What are you doing, Parkinson?" Theodore irritably asked. "You're supposed to be good at this!"

Draco glared as well.

But she simply smiled and downed her shot effortlessly. "Must be the alcohol affecting my performance."

Pansy turned to the blonde behind her. Eva's face and neck were starting to get flushed and she stared at the shot in her hand like it was poison.

"Enjoying yourself?" Pansy asked with a snide look on her face.

By the next couple of rounds, Eva started to get wobbly. Her legs felt like jelly and her head started to spin. She was barely able to concentrate on the floating bracelet and she unfortunately missed the bottle, earning herself another shot.

"You're doing much better than I thought," Pansy laughed, finishing her shot with no trouble at all. "I honestly thought you'd pass out by now."

"Don't force yourself, Eva," Theodore said, holding the blonde's arm to support her. "I'll drink it for you."

"No can do, Nott! You know that's against the rules!" Warrington chuckled. His arms were draped around two girls from his team. "What's the matter? Malfoy's twin can't handle a little alcohol?"

Eva broke away from Theodore and grabbed a table for better support. "I'm fine..."

She downed the whiskey and banged the shot glass onto the table, earning a cheer from the crowd. She looked up and immediately regretted doing so. The room started to spin even more. Faces were getting blurry.

"See? She's doing just fine!" Warrington exclaimed. "Resume the game!"

"No, this game is over," Draco said firmly. "We forfeit."

The host laughed. "Hey, suit yourselves! More firewhiskey for us!" He turned towards the crowd. "Okay! Who's up for another game?"

Eva shakily pushed her way through the cheering crowd, nausea taking a hold of her.

"Eva! Where are you going?" Theodore asked, trying to reach her, but the crowd closed him in as another drinking game started.

"I-I just need some air..." The blonde witch reached the door and pulled it open. "I'll be back...in a while..."

Draco watched her leave the room, tempted to follow after her. The Shrieking Shack was definitely no place to wander around in while intoxicated and it didn't help that this particular blonde witch seemed to have a knack for getting herself into trouble.

He was about to follow suit when he saw a group of girls head for the door as well.

* * *

><p>Eva leaned against the door. She was back in that silent, spooky and dusty part of the shack but somehow she prefered it to the loud and rowdy one on the other side of the door. She was starting to feel a little better but the urge to vomit lingered. She looked around for a possible loo. There were two other doors in that room leading to who knew where.<p>

Even though the place freaked her out to no end, the sick feeling in her stomach was worse. She tried the door to her left. It creaked open and immediately revealed stairs leading up to a room with its door open. With the help of the light seeping through the frosted window in that room, she could see it was a bedroom. Hopefully, it was a bedroom _connected _to a bathroom.

She slowly worked her way up the stairs, leaning against the wall to avoid toppling over in her tipsy state. Once at the top, she looked around for any sign of a bathroom, but it appeared her search was fruitless. There were no other doors in the room besides the one she entered through.

Looking around, she saw that there was a very old and moldy four-poster bed to one side, a table and an armchair in the middle, two broken lamps, and a painting on the wall that looked like it was shredded by a creature with razor-sharp claws.

And, to the other side of the room, leaning against the scratched up wall was a wardrobe.

Eva hesitantly approached it, wondering whether it was just another boggart...or it was the alcohol messing with her mind. The wardrobe didn't have brass handles though or intricate carvings. It was the wrong color, too – it was black. Furthermore, it had a mirror that reflected her face...along with four other female faces smiling deviously back at her.

The blonde witch whirled around in surprise only to be roughly pushed inside the wardrobe. She screamed and struggled, but it was no use. The girls quickly barred the doors, locking her in and laughing as they did.

And she was engulfed completely in darkness.

"Who do you think you are?" one of the girls spat. "Hanging around Theodore so much! As if you were his girlfriend!"

"This'll teach you!" said another. "Stay in there and think about what you've done!"

Eva banged on the doors, pleading to be let out, but the girls only continued to laugh. Soon, their laughter faded and she heard the door to the room slam shut. It was then that she knew she was left totally alone.

She kicked at the doors, but they remained closed. She shouted for help but heard no response.

Just like in her dreams, Eva started to panic. Her throat was closing up on her and breathing became too difficult to bear. It was as if the darkness was pressing down on her, choking the air out of her lungs.

Just like in her dreams, she started to cry. She felt so powerless. So alone. So abandoned. And everything came crashing back to her. The boggart. The talk with Professor Lupin. The dementors. The memory of that wardrobe back at home.

Minutes passed by in that darkness...but it felt more like hours. Days. Years. Lifetimes.

She curled up and hugged her legs, sobbing quietly and waiting for unconsciousness to take over, just as it had many years ago when she had also felt powerless, alone and abandoned...and no one had come for her.

_"Even now...no one's coming..."_

Eva buried her face in her knees.

Resigned and defeated.

Alone and forgotten.

"Bellator?"

The wardrobe doors suddenly swung open and light flashed through, temporarily blinding her. It took a while for her vision to adjust to the light, but when it did, she was never more surprised and never happier to see the person kneeling in front of her.

Without a second thought, she threw her arms around him, hot tears streaming down her face, sobs wracking her body. The boy remained silent, keeping his arms motionless at his sides, letting the girl cry into his expensive coat as much as she needed.

When she had calmed down a bit, the two of them sat side-by-side on the floor, their backs against the wall.

For a while, neither of them said anything. There was just too much to say but too few words to express it all.

The girl was the first to break the silence.

"H-How did you know?" she asked, her voice hoarse and weary.

"When you left, I saw some of Nott's fan girls follow you out," the boy replied. "And when they came back laughing, looking all pleased with themselves, and _you_ didn't come back..." He paused. "Well, it wasn't hard to put two and two together."

Eva didn't reply and silence resumed.

The boy snuck looks at her every now and then. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she looked worn out, but he could tell it wasn't because of the alcohol they drank earlier on.

Truth be told, he was shocked to find the witch in that state. It was the first time he really actually saw Bellator cry and break down, like all the fight had been knocked out of her. It wasn't a nice sight at all.

There must have been something more to what happened to her. The Bellator he knew – the one that had boldly raised her wand at him not once, but TWICE – wouldn't just give up or cry over being locked inside a cabinet...unless there was a deeper meaning to it.

"Your boggart," he finally said. "It was a wardrobe. ...why?"

The witch turned her head away and tried her best to blink back tears welling up in her eyes. Haphazardly, she wiped them away and he could see her hand trembling as she did, making him regret asking pointblank.

He cleared his throat. "I'll get us some water."

He made a move to stand up, but Eva quickly grabbed his arm.

"Stay..._please_…"

She kept her face away from him, hiding her emotions, as if ashamed to be seen so vulnerable, but the pleading in her voice was as clear as day. He sat back down and waited for her to talk. Her grip on his arm gradually loosened.

"I was about eight," she started tentatively. "I had the habit of wandering our grounds and especially the village beyond...even though my parents had expressly forbidden it."

The boy listened quietly.

"It was a muggle village. I would spend day after day sneaking off and joining in games the children there would play. I was always the strange girl to them and I often got teased, but I didn't mind."

She turned to the boy and smiled slightly. The smile, however, didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I guess I was just lonely...looking for someone to talk to, someone to play with. I didn't have friends around, you see. My parents shut me up in that mansion like a prisoner."

She closed her eyes for a moment, as if lost in her memories, before continuing. "Then one day, the children asked me if we could play at my place. And since I knew my parents were supposedly away on a business trip, I brought them home with me." Her smile slowly faded away. "You can just imagine the shock and fear on my face when my parents found us playing in the gardens. The village children's memories were wiped clean and they were sent away. _I _wasn't quite as lucky."

Eva chuckled bitterly. "They yelled at me...told me things an eight year old shouldn't have to hear...told me I shouldn't associate with muggles or anyone who wasn't 'like us'...told me it was stupid and thoughtless to disobey their orders. They told me that those children, the _closest_ thing I had to _friends_, were dirty and insignificant."

Her voice was cracking. "Hurt and confused, I yelled right back. I told them there wasn't anything wrong with those children...that they were just like us...if not _better_...because they didn't have to live like _prisoners_ in their own homes. I told them I wanted to choose my own friends, even if they _were _muggles, and that there wasn't anything they could do to change my mind."

She stopped and closed her eyes again.

"So what they did was...they threw me into a wardrobe...locked me in there good...told me I could only come out when I was ready to behave..."

She opened her eyes. Tears gushed out.

"And then they just _left_."

No matter how much she wiped the tears away, more just ran down her face. Everything she'd been holding back for days now...and maybe even _years _just surged out of her in waves of sobs.

The boy had to look away.

"They _left_. Even though I was begging them to let me out...even though I was crying and screaming and kicking...and promising to be the good little daughter they'd always wanted. It took a lot out of me...I passed out."

She paused again to collect herself, to reel in the emotions she had carelessly set loose. After a moment, another humorless laugh escaped her chapped lips. "When I woke up, I was in my bed being cared for by the house elves. I was sick and stuck in my room for about a week...and when I finally got the chance to be in the same room as my parents..."

She smiled dryly. "...they acted as if nothing happened...like everything was just something from a bad dream...like I hadn't even been bedridden. Needless to say, that was the first _and_ last time I rebelled against my parents."

A far away look settled in her tired eyes. "Ever since then, I've been trying to be this perfect little daughter...just hoping that maybe one day..._I _would be worth opening the doors for."

And that was it.

After that, Eva kept silent, lost in her own thoughts.

The boy sat motionless beside her, deep in thought as well, but it wasn't long before he dug into the pocket of his coat, took out a handkerchief with a "DM" embroidered on it and offered it to the girl who simply stared.

"Go on...take it," he said. "We can't have you looking like that when we head back."

When she made no move to take it, he placed the handkerchief in her hands with surprising gentleness. The usual steely look in his gray eyes was momentarily gone and his own hands were pleasantly warm to the touch.

With the slightest hint of a smile, he added, "Wouldn't want to give those girls the satisfaction, now would you?"

Eva stared at him. This boy was demonstrating a kindness that was as rare as it was touching and she secretly wondered what she'd done to deserve it. She looked him in the eyes and returned his smile with a genuine one of her own before finally wiping her tearstained cheeks. She tried to hand it back to him, but he shook his head and told her to hold onto it for the meantime.

"Ready to head back now?" he asked.

She nodded almost imperceptibly and they stood up, brushing the dust from their clothes. They were heading out of the room when Eva gingerly held onto the back of his coat, a small smile gracing her face.

"Thank you..." she said. "Just...thank you."

The boy looked back at the witch. "Just so you know," he replied. "I wouldn't go looking for someone who I thought wasn't worth it."

And without another word, he proceeded down the stairs with Eva following right behind him.

She held his handkerchief tightly as the smile on her face grew.

A warm sensation lingered where his hands had touched hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there you have it. That's why Eva's boggart is a wardrobe! Surprising? _Not _if you've just recently read my earliest chapters. If you backtrack to those chapters, I've actually hinted at this childhood trauma of being locked inside a wardrobe. Hahaha 'cause I'm a sneaky little fruitloop.**

**Actually! Here's a fun fact. There are a LOT of little _seemingly_ insignificant details in my earlier chapters that hint to future twists and turns. It would take a sharp eye and a wild imagination to solve the mysteries that are actually just getting fired up. **

**AAANND I've said too much. Haha.**

**Anyhoo! Chapter 21's going to be a chapter to look forward to! The Malfoys' Christmas ball, the first scene with the Malfoys and the Bellators together, a closer look at Eva's life at home…and did I mention the Malfoys' Christmas ball?**

**Thanks for the reviews so far! :) Please do keep them coming! Comments and suggestions are always welcome!**

**And hurray for xXMizz Alec VolturiXx! You're my 50th reviewer! :D**


	21. Friends & Foes

**CHAPTER 21  
><strong>"**Friends & Foes"**

Eva leaned over the balustrade of Hogwart's bridge, admiring the frosted school grounds she realized she was going to miss so much. She was already packed for their Christmas break but the blonde was not quite ready to leave just yet. During her short stay at Hogwarts, the school had become a home for her and had quickly worked its way into her heart despite everything that had happened...or maybe _because of_ everything that had happened.

She had gone through so many things – the bad and the good – during the relatively short time she had spent in school. She had met so many interesting people – the bad and the good sort as well. The professor that stood silently beside her, reflecting on everything she was confiding in him, was definitely the good sort.

"Would you remember, Sir, when I told you I had heard something strange during the dementor attack – a girl crying?"

The older man simply nodded, his hands clasped together as he, too, leaned over the balustrade.

"And my boggart during the class...it had turned into a wardrobe," she continued. "Well it all makes sense now, Professor. I finally understand what I heard and why I heard it."

Eva smiled dryly. "The dementors were forcing me to relive a terrible childhood memory - the time I was locked away in a wardrobe." She sighed and shook her head. "That must be it. I can't think of any other explanation."

"That would seem to be an acceptable explanation," he said. "After all, dementors feed on strong negative emotions." The professor looked at his student kindly. "How are you doing, now that you understand?"

The blonde took a moment to reflect. "I'm sleeping better now...but I would be lying to you, Sir, if I told you I was not at all troubled by it..."

Professor Lupin flashed her a comforting smile. "It's only natural I suppose. Sometimes, taking a peek into our deeper selves can be nerve-wracking. Sometimes, we don't necessarily like what we see. After all, we all have our secrets and fears...things we are ashamed of...things we try to forget." His smile faltered a bit. "But sooner or later...we all have to face the monsters inside us..."

Hearing some footsteps approaching, the professor turned his head to the side. "Luckily, this journey of self-discovery is rarely walked alone."

"Eva!" a girl's voice shouted. "Let's go! We'll miss the train!"

Eva turned as well and saw her friends running up to them, waving their arms happily.

The professor chuckled. "You had better head off now. Happy Christmas, Miss Bellator."

The blonde's lips curled into a smile. "Happy Christmas, Professor!"

* * *

><p>Baggages were loaded into the train and students scurried to find their places with friends. When all was ready, the train whistled long and loudly, signaling their departure. It wasn't very long before Hogwarts completely disappeared from Eva's view. The blonde sighed and leaned back in her seat.<p>

She couldn't exactly say that she was ecstatic to be going home. But at least the company she had in her compartment now was far more agreeable than that of her first train ride. Last time, she had had only her thoughts and anxiety to keep her company in that quiet and chilly compartment. Plus, there was that whole dementor incident that had shaken her nerves all the more.

Now, her compartment was anything but quiet and she liked it better that way.

"Oi, oi, oi!" Theodore shouted, pulling their stash of sweets away from Millicent. "Don't eat it all! This is supposed to last the whole trip!"

The chubby girl frowned. "But I'm starving!"

"Starving? Didn't you just stuff your face before leaving?"

"What are you even doing here, Nott?" Daphne asked irritably. "Don't you usually share a compartment with Blaise and Draco?"

"Well since Parkinson's there throwing herself all over Draco," he answered, making himself more comfortable in his seat (beside the blonde witch). "I might as well take her place here!"

Eva chuckled as the three continued to bicker. "Is it usually this...errr...energetic in your compartment, Tracey?"

The pony-tailed girl sighed but had an amused smile on her face. "Unfortunately. Especially when Theodore and Pansy end up in the same compartment. There's never a dull moment."

As promised, the rest of the trip was spent with bickering here and there (not that anyone really minded), lively chatter and laughter. And before they knew it, their train had come to a complete stop. Students were filing out with their baggage and various pets, hugging and saying their goodbyes and happy Christmases to their friends and then hugging parents and relatives who had come to pick them up.

"Owl me, okay?" Eva hugged her best friend tightly. "Promise me!"

Tracey returned the hug and chuckled. "Only if you promise to owl _me _often, too!" Then she quickly added, "Oh, but please don't use your parents' bird. I prefer to keep ALL my fingers during the break, thank you very much."

"Traaaaceeeeyyy deeeaaareeest!" A middle-aged woman in a bright yellow coat and pink dress suddenly came walking briskly towards their group. She gave the pony-tailed girl a big hug and proceeded to help with her things. "I've missed you terribly, dear! Now let's get going!"

Tracey stopped in her tracks. "Mum, wait! I want to introduce you to my friend." She motioned for Eva to approach them. "You already know the others," she said, pertaining to the rest of the Slytherin group behind her. "But this is Eva, Eva Bellator. She's a new student, but we're in the same year."

The blonde smiled. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Oh," the woman simply replied. She stared for a moment at the blonde in front of her – mouth slightly open, her smile slightly diminished.

Tracey rolled her eyes when her mother continued to stare. "No, mum, her last name's not Malfoy. It's Bellator. Yes, they do look alike, but no, they're not related."

The middle-aged woman stared a bit more before finally collecting herself. "Ah y-yes, yes. I understand." She cleared her throat and continued nervously. "W-Well it's nice to meet you, Eva. Now come along, dear...mustn't keep your father waiting."

Tracey waved one last time to her friends before walking off with her mother, who constantly asked her why she wasn't wearing the dresses sent to her. Millicent, Pansy and Daphne went home shortly after, leaving the blonde with the three boys.

"Don't forget to owl me, too, Eva!" Theodore said, clutching the girl's coat and not exactly wanting to let go. "I'll be really, really, really sad if you forget!"

Eva surprised the boy with a friendly hug. "Of course, Theodore! How could I forget that?"

Draco rolled his mercurial eyes. "Alright, alright, break it up," he said, pulling back the tall boy who was clearly enjoying the hug far too much.

"Yeah, no need to get all teary-eyed, _Dora_," Blaise snickered. "You'll be seeing each other in just a few days anyway at the Malfoy ball. Now let's get going! Our folks won't be too happy if we keep them waiting any longer."

"Right, right..." Theodore sighed. "See you real soon, Eva! Take care of yourself, okay?"

Draco gave a curt nod and just a hint of a smile before finally walking off with his friends.

Eva watched the group disappear around a corner before sitting down on a nearby bench and parking her things beside her. The people on the platform slowly dwindled as they all made their way home. As she looked around, her owl stirred restlessly in its cage.

"Don't worry, Noxx. Someone will be here soon," she said, sticking her hand in the cage and smoothing out the bird's feathers.

True enough, a tall man clad in dark green and donning a black beard appeared in front of her. The ever so familiar scowl was plastered on his face.

"Welcome back, Miss Bellator," he formally greeted, picking up some of her baggage. "I've come to take you home."

* * *

><p>Eva was enjoying her dreams of ball gowns, enchanting music, dancing and merry-making when she was abruptly woken by soft but incessant poking. She groaned and groggily opened her eyes. Once her vision came into focus, the blonde saw one of their house elves' familiar faces.<p>

"Good morning, Little Miss," the house elf greeted coyly, its big blue eyes shining in the early morning light.

Eva groaned some more and turned over, pulling the covers over her head. "Hi, Winkle…it's nice to see you again but please give me just a few more minutes."

The small creature scurried to the other side of the four-poster bed. "B-But you are wanted at breakfast, Little Miss... The m-masters..."

Periwinkle started to cower and sob. The blonde could do nothing but sigh and sit up from her bed. She patted the elf tenderly on its head and smiled. "Alright, Winkle. You win. I'll go get dressed."

The creature clapped her hands excitedly and proceeded to levitate a dress out from the huge wardrobe. "Little Miss should wear this! It is very pretty! Winkle likes this one!" But then her brows furrowed when she spotted other 'pretty' dresses, which were just as quickly levitated into the air. "Or maybe Little Miss will like this...or this...oohhh...Winkle likes this!"

"It's alright," Eva said as she got on her feet and stretched. "I can dress myself, thank you."

Periwinkle's bat-like ears flopped to the sides of her head in disappointment but quickly perked up again as she made the bed, careful to tuck away Teddy under one of the feather pillows – a little secret that Eva shared only with her. She then hopped to the dresser, knocking down some bottles of perfume and other cosmetics in the process, and picked up a hair brush. While the witch was getting dressed, the elf tried to brush her hair, but only ended up getting in the way.

"It's okay, Winkle. I can brush my own hair."

The house elf returned the brush and sat down on the bed dejectedly. "Winkle only wants to help," she explained in her soft and shy voice. "Winkle missed Little Miss terribly when she went to Warthogs. Winkle was very lonely."

Eva chuckled lightly. "It's Hogwarts, Winkle." She then embraced the smaller creature. "And I missed you, too. Now go on. I'll be ready in a while."

Smiling, the little elf headed for the bedroom door. She peeked one last time behind it before closing it completely, leaving the blonde alone in her spacious room.

It was just another day in the Bellator household and, now that she was back, she had to once again live her life by the schedule and system she knew by heart.

She washed up, meticulously put on one of the dresses Periwinkle brought out for her (she went with the lacy white one that day and added an elegant little brooch she knew her mother liked), straightening out any folds and tucking her necklace inside (she also knew that the irregularly shaped gray stone fished out from a river quite a few years back would most definitely NOT be to her parents' taste) before stepping into spotless bejeweled white shoes and neatly brushing her hair away from her face. She gave herself one look over in her full-length mirror to check if anything was in disarray and another look over to recheck everything (just in case she had missed something).

When she deemed her appearance satisfactory, that would be the only time she could make her way through long hallways lined by countless portraits and ornate jars and down staircases leading to the humungous dining room where her parents preferred to take their first meal of the day.

She had not met with her parents yet. When she had arrived from her trip with her tutor, Mr. Burke, the night before, her parents had already retired to their rooms and were not to be disturbed. She received a very warm welcome, however, from the house elves, especially from Periwinkle who was now waiting diligently by the entrance to the dining room. With a snap, the creature opened the huge doors for her. Eva gave her a little pat on the head as she was escorted by the creature into the room.

One other house elf was waiting at the side of the dining room. The patriarch was seated at the head of the table, reading his paper as usual. The matriarch was running some business and news by her husband. Neither of them ever really cared to make eye contact. As usual.

Periwinkle cleared her throat. "E-Excuse me, Masters..." She shook pathetically in place as a pair of icy blue eyes landed on her. "L-Little Miss has come down for breakfast."

Ursula inspected the girl standing beside the elf. It was customary that if she found anything disagreeable about her daughter's appearance, the young witch would be told to return to her room and fix whatever it was that was displeasing. In truth, this happened quite frequently since the matriarch had an extremely sharp eye for details. On that day, however, nothing seemed to be out of place.

"Very well," the woman replied brusquely. "Now leave us."

The house elf made a low bow and quickly scurried out of the room.

"Good morning," Eva greeted politely, kissing her parents on their cheek before taking her place at the table. The house elf present in the room placed all of Eva's favorite breakfast items on the plate for her.

"There's far too much on her plate," Ursula snapped, making the creature jump up in fright. "We have a ball coming up, you incompetent fool. We can't have her look bloated."

Trembling, the creature apologized, returned some of the food and poured some water into the young witch's goblet. Eva whispered a thank you before it returned to its place in the room.

Her father set his paper aside. "I trust your trip home with Mr. Burke was agreeable?"

"Yes, Father." Eva carefully cut her meat. She knew by instinct that her mother's eyes were still on her.

The man took a sip from his coffee and set the cup down on its saucer. "And your stay at Hogwarts?"

"I've had a pleasant time at Hogwarts, Father. I'm doing well in each class. I've made many friends from my House, as I've reported in my letters."

"And yet," her mother interjected. "You failed to mention that one of those friends of yours was the sole Malfoy heir."

"Forgive me..." Eva replied with eyes downcast. "I just didn't think–"

"That's right," Ursula cut her off. "You _didn't_ think."

Now it was the father's turn to speak again. "Eva, you are coming of age. It is imperative that you learn to understand the importance of making the right connections and knowing your foes like the back of your hand… Elf! Bring me water."

The house elf darted to the side of its master and poured the cool liquid into his goblet.

"Now, the upcoming ball shall give us the opportunity to do just that. You will be preparing for it in the afternoon with your mother and I expect you to make yourself useful to her, but enough of that." The man's eyes darkened and his brows furrowed. "We have more pressing concerns to discuss."

Somehow, Eva had a feeling she already knew what their talk was going to be about. She kept her eyes on her plate and gripped the sides of her chair uneasily.

Ursula pursed her thin lips. She never once averted her eyes from the girl. "Do you understand the situation...no, the_ shame_ you put the family name into because of that dementor incident?"

_"I knew it," _Eva thought to herself. This talk was just inevitable.

Her parents spoke calmly but their discontent (to say the least) was as clear as day.

"Imagine...the heir of the Bellator family attacked and subjugated by such foul and loathsome creatures. And to make matters worse, you had to be rescued by none other than the son of the Malfoys, one of our biggest competitions. Have you no consideration for the name of this family?"

"Forgive me...but I...I couldn't do anything," the young witch feebly admitted.

She was never one to answer back and she knew she had a fault in this as well, but they were being unfair and cruel. Her parents were more concerned over their precious name rather than her well-being. It stung her in more ways than they could imagine.

"They're stronger than they appear...I was no match for them..."

"You don't understand, do you?" her mother continued coldly. "This situation could have easily been avoided. If you had not been exposing yourself in such a useless game in the first place, you would not have caused this problem."

"Which brings us to our next concern." Brutus Bellator took a drink from his goblet and held it in the air. "You will no longer be permitted to participate in Quidditch, be it games or trainings."

Eva's eyes snapped to her father. She was not expecting that.

"But Father! I–"

"You engaged in that pointless sport and joined the team without our consent. Since then, you have been sacrificing your health – I recall you wrote us about being ill once or twice – and your time for studies to indulge in these useless games."

"_No! You can't do this..."_

"Father, Mother...please reconsider!" the young witch implored, swallowing the fear that came with uttering such words.

She couldn't bring herself to blindly accept their decision. Quidditch made her happy. She was part of a team. She was part of something important to her, to her friends and to her House. She had worked so hard and been through so much...and for what? To have it all taken away from her? And all because Lucian Bole decided he hated her guts enough to cause her harm?

"I'll be more careful...I'll work harder...and the dementors...they've been kept away from the area since then. It will never happen again so please, Father–"

Brutus Bellator brought his goblet down hard on the table. "Enough. We are done discussing this."

That was the final stomp on her pride. They had effectively put out any fire she had left in her. They returned to their meals and to their discussion of other business matters, as if the previous matter meant nothing to them, while Eva fought to blink back tears. Her appetite was gone and she felt completely crushed under their heel.

But she would not cry in front of them. No, she would swallow the hurt and disappointment.

As usual.

* * *

><p>The night of the Christmas ball arrived and the Malfoy mansion buzzed with life as guests started pouring in and as servants attended to their duties tirelessly. The female guests showed off luxurious gowns, some of which were studded and bejeweled from head to toe. Others donned colorful feathers from exotic birds, while others still flowed with trains of the finest silk. And to complement such fancy attire, they had worn only their best jewelry, especially since this was no ordinary ball – it was a ball hosted by the Malfoys. The men, on the other hand, wore classy and crisp suits and dress robes. Unlike the women, they were dressed more for business than for leisure. One or two bejeweled, golden or silver accessories of the highest quality, however, could be spotted on such suits and robes to subtly remind their peers that they certainly belonged to such an elite party as that.<p>

In the privacy of his room, Draco Malfoy prepared his own black dress robes and a silver pin studded with emeralds, quite fitting for a Slytherin. In his room, he could already hear the music and commotion from the party. It was almost time for him to join them.

After making the final touches to his attire, he left his room and made his way to their ballroom. He stopped before the great ornate doors leading to the party and sighed.

_"Here we go again."_

Draco pushed the doors open and was almost blinded by the bright candle lights of the party. It was a stark contrast to the darker corners of their home where he was disposed to spend most of his free time in. It was a stark contrast as well to the previous state their ballroom had been in – cobwebs, dust, covers on the furniture, dark and heavy curtains blocking out rays of sun and so on. Now, it was a room of splendor and elegance – sparkling crystal chandeliers, fresh exotic flowers in large glass vases, silver-framed portraits and silver-lined...well...everything, newly waxed floors you could practically see your reflection in and curtains pulled back, exposing grand balconies and a view of the beautifully lit gardens and fountains waiting outside.

His mother had outdone herself yet again.

"Oh, Draco dear," the aforementioned woman called. She motioned for him to join their group.

His father was shaking hands with some newly arrived guests from the Ministry, who, judging from what he heard as he was approaching, were busy kissing his father's arse. One of the men was stick thin while the other was plump like a stuffed pig. Draco smirked to himself. They made a perfect 10.

"Good evening," he greeted politely, taking his place at his mother's side.

"My word! How your son has grown!" the plump man exclaimed, peering through his thick glasses, as if he were a close friend of the family.

_"Funny, I could say the same about you," _the young blonde thought to himself as he eyed the man's belly bulging out of his dress pants. The thinner one went on to compliment him on how tall and lean he was, but he didn't really care. He already knew he was devilishly good-looking.

After a few more compliments about their home and their hospitality, the head of the Malfoy family extended his arm and said, "Please, enjoy yourselves."

That was the one-liner used whenever they felt that civilities with certain people had extended far longer than what was necessary. This especially came in handy when dealing with people of little significance.

Lucius turned to his son when they were left to themselves. "Now remember what we talked about, Draco," he said, giving a curt nod to a group of people. "We have special guests arriving today. It would be to our best interest if you could _befriend _them."

"Of course, Father," Draco obediently answered. And of course, he already knew what his father meant by "befriend" and who he was pertaining to. He had been briefed many times before this party. The funny thing was, he had unintentionally started befriending this person _way _ahead of schedule.

He was about to excuse himself and go looking for his best mates when a small commotion at the other side of the room caused them to turn in that direction.

He meant to ask what it was about, but the sinister smile on his father's face said it all. "Speak of the devil."

Descending from the grand staircase was another family quite like the Malfoys – stately, expensive, dressed to impress and, most noticeably, blonde.

It was the first time Draco laid eyes on the whole family.

The head of the newly arrived family was tall and dignified, much like his own father, but instead of long and straight pale blonde hair, his was wavy, cut very short and matched well with his trim beard.

The wife at his arm was just as dignified and carried herself with such elegance and poise. She was dressed in a dark evening gown peppered with diamonds while donning two pairs of diamonds on her ears and another band of these expensive jewels on her wrist. She was a very handsome woman; however, the coldness in her blue eyes and her proud demeanor made her look just as severe and pompous as she was handsome.

Then his eyes fell on the girl beside the woman.

And suddenly, everything slowed to a near stop. Suddenly, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away...and everyone in the room seemed to fade in the background, until only she was left.

She had worn a high neck silver laced gown with intricate patterns and showered in gems that matched the shine in those mercurial eyes.

He had never seen her dressed that way before. Nor had he ever seen anything quite like that girl in that silver dress.

But he found it curious that tonight she certainly looked different to him...and yet somehow still the same as always.

"They've arrived earlier than I expected," Narcissa said, placing a fair hand on her son's arm and bringing him back to his senses. "Shall we give them a proper welcome?"

Taking the hand of his wife, Lucius led his family straight towards the newly arrived guests. "Remember, son," he said. "Keep your friends close and your foes ever closer."

When the two families finally came together, Draco and the girl's eyes met briefly. He gave a polite nod before looking away.

"Welcome," Lucius greeted, the rehearsed smile still on his face. "So good of you to come. It has been quite a long time since we last met."

"Yes, it has," the other man replied without so much as a smile. "Much has happened since then. But I see you have not changed in the least."

Lucius' smile grew. "Likewise."

The two men locked eyes, as if in silent conversation, before Lucius turned to the girl. "I see you've brought your daughter. She has grown into quite the lady."

"And attending Hogwarts now," Narcissa added with a sly grin of her own. "We hear she and our son belong to the same House. It must have been _difficult_ for her to cope with attending school after _all _those years of being tutored at home."

Ursula Bellator smiled civilly in return. "Mr. Burke is a most capable instructor so she has been well-prepared for formal schooling." The smile then eased into a slight smirk. "In fact, we hear she has received the highest marks in their classes so far."

Narcissa's brow arched slightly. "So far," she repeated. "The school year has just begun after all. Hopefully, your daughter can keep up her good work."

"Yes, a lot can happen in just a year...like that_ horrible_ incident with those ghastly dementors!" Lucius said, feigning sympathy, but a gratified look could easily be seen from his eyes. " It has been the talk all over Hogwarts. I pray your daughter has recovered fully."

Eva lowered her own eyes. She felt the grip of her mother's hand tighten painfully around her wrist.

Narcissa continued with pleasure, "Luckily, our son is well-practiced in the use of many charms, including the Patronus charm…isn't that right, Draco dear?"

Draco looked away as well. He usually relished moments when his parents boasted about him...when his parents were so proud of what he had done, but not this time. This time, he just wanted to walk away.

The brows of the Bellator patriarch slightly furrowed. "And for that, we are indebted to him," he replied courteously, unfazed by the subtle ridicule but also unamused. "It was a most unfortunate accident."

Ursula also kept calm, but the smile on her face was gone. "And to avoid other accidents in the future, she will no longer be participating in Quidditch."

Draco quickly turned to Eva in disbelief, but the girl kept her eyes lowered.

"What a shame," Lucius said, once again not truly meaning a word of it. "As I'm sure you know, our son is the captain of the Slytherin team. He and your daughter would have made _such_ good teammates."

"Yes, well, as you say, a lot can happen in just a year. Let us hope we all have a good one."

"Agreed." Lucius took his wife's hand. "Now then, if you'll excuse us. We have some newly arrived guests to attend to. It was a pleasure seeing you again and we look forward to continuing our conversation later in the evening. In the meantime…" He nodded and extended his arm, the triumphant look still on his face. "Please enjoy yourselves."

* * *

><p>It was a long time before Draco was finally permitted to leave his parents' side for just a few minutes. He was almost bored to tears by aimless conversations started by some of the guests, by others trying so hard to kiss his family's arse and by the business talk his father had "strongly encouraged" him to join in. He couldn't have been happier to see his friends there at one of the buffet tables (even if that group included a very shrill Pansy who immediately threw herself at him when he got there).<p>

"Drakie!" she squealed with delight. "I missed you so much! I can't believe it's only been days since we last saw each other at King's Cross. It felt like years!"

Theodore and Blaise clapped him in the back. "Good to see you, mate!"

Draco smirked when he saw Theodore's plate had been filled to the brim.

"And great food by the way!" The tall boy gave him a thumbs up. "Even better than last year!"

The blonde folded his arms and leaned against a column. "Great to see someone's enjoying themselves. You enjoying yourself, Blaise?"

Their dark-skinned friend harrumphed. "More like my _mother's _the one doing all the enjoying." He could see his mother chatting energetically with a group of men probably more than a few years younger than her.

"So do you like my gown, Drakie?" Pansy butted in, fingering his collar alluringly. She had worn a blood red sleeveless gown with a décolletage. "I was thinking maybe you could give me a tour of your home later."

"You know what, Parkinson? Your parents should put a leash on you!" Theodore exclaimed, prying the girl off his friend. "I think you've had enough to drink."

"Piss off, Nott! Shouldn't you be off drooling over Bellator or something?"

Theodore's face instantly colored. "S-Shut it!" He then cleared his throat and regained his composure. "S-So...have you guys seen her yet?"

"She's probably still going around with her parents," Draco answered dismissively, taking a glass of wine from a serving tray floating by. He casually looked around the room as he sipped his drink. In truth, he was scanning the room for her. He wanted to talk to her about Quidditch. It still came as a shock to him that she was quitting. She couldn't have been okay with quitting just like that. It couldn't have been her decision to quit. Not after what they've been through.

After awhile, he spotted her blonde hair approaching them in the crowd.

"Look, here she comes now."

Theodore turned in that direction and quickly found himself gaping at the sight of the blonde witch. If his jaw weren't attached to his head, it would have fallen off, like the food that dropped out of his mouth and back onto the plate in his hand. His pulse went into overdrive yet again…much like that time at Madam Puddifoot's.

He had always found her beautiful, but tonight...maybe it was the gown, or the warm lights floating above them or the wine he drank a little while ago...tonight, she was nothing short of a goddess.

"Oi, oi, oi! Theodore!" Blaise called out, breaking his little trance. "Your nose is bleeding!"

"...w-what?"

"Your nose," the dark-skinned boy reiterated, passing him a napkin. "It's bleeding."

Theodore touched the area above his mouth and checked his fingers. Indeed, there was scarlet liquid all over them. "Oh shit! Oh shit!" He grabbed the napkin and wiped the mess.

"Hey," Eva waved upon reaching them. "Great to see you guys again! ...what happened to Theodore?"

"Don't mind him," Pansy answered, rolling her eyes. "He's just being a twat again."

"H-Hey, Eva..." the tall boy greeted back, still trying to keep the bloody mess under control.

Eva threw Draco a small smile before looking away and striking a conversation with the others, much to Draco's irritation. What was she doing casually talking to the others? Was she planning on telling them at all? Was she even going to explain to him? He _was_ the captain of their Quidditch team after all. He thought he deserved an explanation.

When they had finally stopped talking about their vacations, Draco stood beside the girl.

"Oi," he said in a hushed voice. "Aren't you going to explain?"

"What's to explain?" she replied evasively, facing the buffet table and placing a few food items on her plate.

Draco harrumphed. "Well, for starters, you can explain why you're suddenly quitting Quidditch. Aren't you going to tell them?"

However, she kept her eyes on the table. "I don't want to talk about this now please."

He was about to ask once more but Eva quickly turned to the others. "So where's Daphne again?"

"It's their great grandmother's birthday, remember?" Blaise answered, plucking another wine glass from a passing serving tray. "So don't expect any Greengrasses tonight. A shame really. Daphne has a younger sister who's not too bad looking."

"Yeah, I'm starting to miss Daphne," Pansy sighed and emptied her wine glass. "By now, we would usually be going around the party and talking to people. It's just not the same for a girl to go alone, know what I mean?"

Eva raised her hand, seeing this as an opportunity to flee for the meantime. "Err...I'll go with you."

Pansy blinked twice. "Fine. You'll have to do. Come on."

The pair walked off, leaving the three boys to themselves. One was still bleeding and wiping up his nose. One was enjoying his wine. And the other was pensive and a bit annoyed.

"Sorry about the mess, mates," Theodore started. "It's just...Eva was so...just...you know...and that dress!"

Blaise snickered. "Careful. Don't go bleeding again."

From where they stood, they could see Eva and Pansy being approached by a group of boys at the ball. They were all smiles and shaking the girls' hands. A couple of the boys were even getting quite friendly with the blonde. Pansy seemed to be enjoying the attention while Eva looked a little uncomfortable.

Draco harrumphed a second time. "I don't see what the fuss is about," he said in the most indifferent tone he could muster. "She still looks pretty much the same to me."

The dark-skinned boy stared at Draco before breaking into a laugh. "You sly dog."

"What?" he asked irritably.

"Come on, mate." Blaise chuckled at his friend's naivety. "Even _I_ have to admit she looks bloody gorgeous right now. And by saying she looks the same, you're basically saying she looks this gorgeous _all _the time."

"Don't be an idiot. That's _not_ what I said."

"No, mate," Blaise smirked as he took a sip of his wine. "That's exactly what you said."

* * *

><p>It had been quite a night for Eva. First, the meeting with the Malfoy family. She had a long list of instances in her life when she had wished she had had a shell on her back that she could just crawl into. The meeting with the host family easily made the top of that list. She was positively humiliated when the dementor incident was brought up, especially since she knew how her parents felt about it...and how they felt about the Malfoys. It was a black spot on the family name. She was sure that she'd get chastised once more on their way home. They would never let her live it down.<p>

Then her parents had to drop the bomb about her quitting the Quidditch team in front of Draco. She couldn't look at him properly after that.

And when they were left by the host family, her mother had whispered something to her. "Now do you see what happens when you don't think? Try to keep yourself from embarrassing us any further tonight."

They went to meet and greet some guests at the ball right after. She had to force a smile even though there was nothing to really be cheerful about.

Except meeting her friends, that is. So once her parents busied themselves with discussing business matters with some folk, she excused herself and made her way to them. Then she and Pansy went around meeting people, most of which were boys. Some of them were rather friendly, asking her if they could owl her some time. Some asked if they could have a dance. She politely obliged and found herself switching partners every now and then.

After a few toe-crushing dances with some rather clumsy boys, she looked around for a quiet place to just rest and get away from the crowd (especially from those heavy-footed boys who were looking for a second dance).

One of the balconies at the far end of the room looked unoccupied so she quickly made her way there, pushed through the glass door, closed it and hid behind the shadow of the curtain inside as some boys walked by.

"What? Already tired of dancing?"

Eva almost jumped up in surprise. She whipped around and saw none other than her "twin" leaning over the balustrade.

The witch laughed nervously. "You gave me a fright! I thought there wasn't anyone here."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," he said before looking back out at the garden.

Eva walked over to the boy and looked around. The garden looked amazing, almost like an Eden.

"It's beautiful," she said, taking it all in.

She leaned beside him. The music and chatter from the ball was muffled. It was quite peaceful there. "What are you doing here? And all by yourself?"

"This is my home," he irritably answered. "I can stay wherever I wish without being questioned."

The girl looked down. Evidently, he was not in a good mood. "I only meant...never mind. If I'm disturbing you, I can go."

Draco sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "If you_ must_ know, I just wanted to go somewhere quiet for awhile. Aside from the fact that Parkinson wouldn't let up on the sexual harassment, I've been dragged around all night listening to old men talk about business and politics. And I'm bloody tired." He turned to the girl. "So what's your excuse for coming out here, other than avoiding your flock of twits in there?"

Eva chuckled lightly. "Same as yours. I wanted to get away from it all for just a moment. You know how it is...it gets tiring having to be so proper all the time, especially in front of a new crowd."

The boy sniffed. "You're preaching to the choir."

"And especially," Eva continued as she tried to keep her smile up. "When you made a complete _fool_ out of yourself...and everyone knows about it."

Draco looked at the girl. "What happened with the dementors wasn't your fault. You know that."

A humorless laugh escaped her lips. "Do I really? Because it certainly feels like all I've ever done so far is displease my family even more."

The boy clasped his hands together and looked her straight in the eyes. "Is that why you're quitting our team? Because you're afraid of displeasing them again?"

"You make it sound like I _want_ to quit," Eva replied, a little offended.

"Well _do _you?" he asked pointblank. "_Do_ you want to quit?"

The girl frowned, like she couldn't believe he would even ask her that. "No. No, of course not! Quidditch...and our team...they mean a lot to me. I've been through a lot...and I've worked too hard. I don't _want _to quit."

"Then don't."

"It's not that simple!" she answered back, impatiently this time. Her cheeks burned as her temper started to flare up.

The boy said nothing in return but kept his eyes on her.

"Sorry…I don't mean to shout." Eva grabbed this chance to take a step back, take a deep breath and compose herself. Why should she take her anger out on him...when it was clearly meant for others?

"After what happened with the dementors," she started again, a little calmer now. "After the shame I had subjected my family to...I was told to quit. Of course, I tried persuading them to change their minds...but, as expected, it was no use."

The boy was thoughtful for awhile before speaking again. "Without any protection, you don't grab a pot while it's boiling," he said nonchalantly. "You wait for it to cool down."

Eva looked at him in confusion.

"Look, I'm not good with metaphors, but what I'm trying to say is you don't negotiate with your parents like an idiot while their tempers are still white-hot. You do it when they've calmed down a bit. Let them simmer down. Let them forget." He smirked. "Honestly, Bellator, it's common sense."

The girl sighed heavily. "You don't know my parents. They never forget. They never simmer down." Her lips, however, slowly curled into a small smile. "But I could give it another try...I just thought of a great pitch that could convince them to let me play."

Her smile didn't last long though as another thought struck her. "Ah, bugger..."

"What?"

She groaned. "I forgot all about my broom! It's wrecked. Getting on that thing is just another disaster waiting to happen."

Draco crossed his arms. "Can't you just buy a new one?"

"My parents would never allow it! And I can't simply _ask _for one." She laughed mirthlessly once more. "I can just picture it…me asking for another broom to participate in a game that nearly_ killed_ me and that, more _importantly_, brought us shame and dishonor." Eva shook her head and smiled sadly. "I'll have more luck taming a chimaera than getting a new broom."

She looked up at the night sky. It was devoid of clouds and the moon and stars shone brightly down on them. "But hey…at least it's a beautiful night, right?"

The boy looked up as well. The sky was indeed beautiful that night and they stood in companionable silence for awhile before Eva spoke again.

"Anyway, thank you," she said. "For listening again."

Draco harrumphed. "I'm going to have to start charging, you know."

She laughed again, a little more sincerely now, and it was good to hear.

He chanced another look at the girl beside him.

Her dress and jewelry shone brilliantly under the night light...but they were nothing compared to her smile and her eyes staring up at the sky, though they still seemed quite forlorn.

She looked different. And yet the same.

In a way, he regretted being alone with her there on the balcony…and now_ staring_ at her pointblank...partly because of the unfamiliar_ feeling_ building up in his chest. Partly because of _who_ he was feeling it for. Partly because it made him feel _weak_. And mostly because he was Draco Malfoy.

And Draco Malfoy was _never_ weak.

But still, he found himself staring on, unable to tear his eyes away.

It was another moment in time that seemed to slow to a stop. But time never stopped for anyone and the moment had passed before he knew it.

"Let's not waste this beautiful night moping around," she said, making her way back to the glass door without him. "My feet have recovered from the torture and I think I want to just enjoy the rest of the party..." She stopped when she reached the handle. The boy was still leaning over the balustrade, looking out at the open space. "Aren't you coming?"

Gruffly, he replied, "Go on."

Eva shrugged and pulled the door open. The music came flowing out from the party. "Don't stay out here too long or you'll catch a cold. Come inside and have a dance or two." She laughed. "It _is _a ball after all."

Afterwards, he heard the door close and silence reigned once more.

He stood there on the balcony for a while, alone and deep in thought.

"A dance or two, huh?"

Draco smirked and shook his head. Then he made his way to the glass door and back to the party. He scanned the ballroom for platinum blonde hair and a silver gown. It wasn't hard to spot her. She was in the middle of the room, amidst a sea of guests.

He purposefully made his way through the crowd but stopped halfway through when he saw that she was already with someone else.

A boy. A very tall, very flustered dark-haired boy.

"I-I was looking for you all over the place," the tall boy stammered, scratching his head furiously in front of the blonde witch. He had already cleaned up the mess he had on his face earlier on. But he looked like his nose was about to bleed again any second now. "I was just wondering...since the ball's almost over..." he nervously continued. "Would you...would you like to dance?"

Eva smiled brightly up at him. "I would love to, Theodore."

Timidly, the boy took the girl's much smaller hand and lightly placed his own on her waist. Slowly, they danced to the sweet and enchanting music of the piano and violins. To Theodore, everything was perfect. Beautiful music, beautiful lights, beautiful party and a beautiful dance with an incredibly beautiful girl.

It was the kind of memory that you would play over and over again in your head at night. It was the kind that you never forgot, no matter how old you were. It was the kind that Theodore never really had before. But now, he made a resolution to make as many memories as he could with the girl smiling up at him at that moment.

"You're quite a good dancer, Theodore," Eva said, laughing a little as she remembered the previous dances she had with the other boys. "My toes never felt safer."

She then looked around the ballroom.

"S-Something wrong?" Theodore asked with concern.

Eva looked back at him. "Hmm? Sorry?"

"You were smiling a little while ago," he said. "And now you look a little sad..."

"Oh." The blonde shook her head and regained her smile. "Oh no, no, I'm fine." She chuckled lightly. "Don't worry about it."

She looked around the ballroom a second time, and then a third time before finally giving up.

_"I guess he decided to stay at the balcony."_

* * *

><p>The next morning was the day before Christmas. Her parents were still fast asleep, exhausted from the ball, but Eva was woken up early by their house elf, Periwinkle, who bounced with excitement about something.<p>

The witch groaned and pulled the covers up to her head. "Winkle...I'm allowed to sleep in today."

"Yes, yes, I know, Little Miss!" the creature said, poking at the girl. "But Winkle has something to show you!"

Eva tossed in her bed. "Can't it wait? I'm really tired..."

But the elf persisted, saying an owl had delivered something special for the witch, saying she needed to see it quickly, and saying she would be very pleased when she saw it. So the blonde dragged herself out of bed and proceeded to brush her hair while the elf went off to get whatever it was she needed to see.

When Periwinkle returned, struggling with the large object in her arms, Eva nearly dropped her brush.

"W-Who is that from, Winkle?" she asked, scarcely believing her eyes. "A-Are you sure that's for me?"

"There is no name, Little Miss, except yours," the elf reported, passing the object to her.

It was wrapped in brown paper and string. And indeed, there was a note attached to the wrapper with only her name on it. As for the object, it was irregularly shaped – very long and bulging at one end – and Eva knew there was only one thing that could have had a shape like that.

Without wasting another second, she ripped through the wrappers and strings.

And when she had finished, she was out of words and out of breath, and lying in her hands was the latest and fastest broom model, the Firebolt.

And on its handle, tied with a little silver ribbon, was a short note:

_"Tamed any chimaeras lately?"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Aaaannnddd I'm back from the grave. I checked how long it's been since my last update and all I can say is, I am sooo sorry. It's been faaaar too long. It's like I just dropped dead. So I hope this chapter makes up for my prolonged absence! It was initially titled, "Frenemies"...and then "Malfoys and Bellators". I started this chapter back in November but then stuff came up (what's new?) and I came back to it just recently. It took me more or less a week to try and get it right. So I really hope you like it! :)**

**One thing though, I've changed Eva's tutor's name from Mr. Gravis (it never really sounded "right" in the first place hahaha) to Mr. Burke. (Yes, that does sound familiar, doesn't it?) So now it's Mr. Tristram Burke.**

**Thanks for the reviews! And for the encouraging messages as well! And yes, I will finish this story. It might just take awhile for me to update, but don't worry. I shan't give up on this so I hope you don't give up either. :)**


	22. Sideways

**CHAPTER 22  
><strong>**"Sideways"**

_She opened her eyes ever so slightly. The soft light filtering through the glass was warm to the skin. The room spun around slowly, gently. _

_She was no longer in her bedroom, but was in a room she somehow recognized. Long forgotten toys. Old children's books. The one small window she was never able to reach._

_Ah._

_Her old nursery. _

_Someone was sitting beside her...a woman, face hidden by light. And she was sewing. _

_Eva could smell the scent of violets from the woman's hair, hear every stitch, feel the fabric of the bear as if _her_ hands were the ones sewing it to life._

_"Go back to sleep, love," the woman whispered._

_So Eva did. _

_When she opened her eyes again, the nursery was gone. Closed walls were replaced with wide open space. The warm wind blew through swaying trees and her long locks of golden hair._

_She was only partly aware of the prickling feel of grass beneath her bare feet before it was replaced by the coolness of rising water. And suddenly she was at a river, a flat and rounded rock in her hand. _

_"Sideways," said a new voice. _

_Eva turned her head. Blonde hair and gray eyes stood beside her. _

_The little boy turned his back to her, facing the river sideways, squatting down close to the water._

_"Sideways," he repeated._

_"I don't understand..."_

_"Don't be afraid to try. It's all in the wrist."_

_And with a sharp movement of his own wrist, the boy flicked the rock across the surface. It skipped for what seemed like hours before it slowed and was lost beneath the water. _

_He looked back at the little girl and smiled. _

_"Your turn."_

* * *

><p>Eva opened her eyes. She was back in her bed, back in the comfort and coherence of her bedroom.<p>

She yawned, stretched herself, shook away the last grains of sleep, and got up to ready herself for another day at home. A moment later, Winkle entered in high spirits as usual, made the bed (again, careful to tuck away Eva's precious Teddy) and helped in her preparations.

_"That dream,"_ she thought as she brushed her hair.

She was well aware that most dreams were just products of her wild imagination. They were unreal, incoherent, jumbled pieces of things she might have seen or thought of...they were dreams..._just _dreams. But lately, they were starting to feel real, though still rather incoherent. There would be times when they would feel so real and tangible that she would wake up surprised that she was still in her bed. Eva couldn't help but feel like her dreams were turning into something that was more than make-believe stories from her imagination...they were starting to feel more like things that _had been_, like memories, particularly parts where her childhood friend was concerned. But why was she dreaming of these now?

"Something wrong, Little Miss?" the elf asked with concern.

Eva shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing."

When she deemed her appearance acceptable (today, she chose another stark white dress and a pin from her mother), she made her way to the dining hall where breakfast with her parents awaited.

Like always, eye contact was unnecessary and each kept to their plate and personal space. Like always, breakfast talk comprised mainly of business affairs, upcoming events within the ever exclusive circle of pureblood families, and tasks to be accomplished within the day. With the exception of the last component, conversations were quite frequently tuned out by the young witch, at times even intentionally.

"I won't be joining supper this evening," the patriarch said impassively, reaching for the morning paper. "Cornelius has called for a meeting."

"Very well. I'll have an elf prepare you a coffee for your return."

"What news of Britain?"

"Vanessa Rookwood has invited us again to their New Years ball, however we've already promised our presence at the Valerian ball."

"The Valerian ball is without a doubt more favorable considering Vanessa's husband remains in Azkaban."

"Indeed. Her family's company has not been well sought-after as of late. I'll owl our regrets."

The Bellator patriarch scanned through his morning paper. Photographs of the escapee, Sirius Black, laughed maniacally back at him. "What else?"

"Avery has been sending troubling letters as of late."

"What about?" he asked, flipping to the business section of the paper.

"Always the same thing." Ursula's eyes darted from her husband to their daughter and back to her plate. Her voice remained collected. "That _it's _coming."

The patriarch stopped for a moment and shook his head. "Avery is but a fool."

"That is true." A pensive look, much like the one on her husband's face, settled on hers. "It _can't _be possible."

After a few minutes of silence, Ursula spoke again. "The Carrows and Rowle have also sent early letters of invitation. Trainings will proceed as planned in the coming year."

"Yes, Tristram and I have discussed this matter." Brutus then turned to the young witch. "Do not forget your lessons this afternoon with your tutor."

Eva snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes, of course, father." Proudly, she added, "I've read in advance all the material Mr. Burke had sent me, particularly the tomes on antidotes and draughts."

"Very well, however, there will be some changes in your lessons. Mr. Burke will elaborate this afternoon."

After breakfast, the patriarch disapparated to the Ministry. The two witches, on the other hand, headed to Twilfitt and Tatting's, an upscale clothings shop in Diagon Alley, and to Gringotts Wizarding Bank. While waiting for her mother to finish her other businesses, Eva spent most of her time in Flourish and Blotts and purchased books she found interesting.

Lunch would then be spent at a family friend's manor, sometimes in Italy, sometimes in Britain. Their visits usually lasted until afternoon tea, and at times even up to high tea late in the afternoon, but on this day, Eva and her mother apparated straight home, which meant only one thing: lessons with Mr. Burke.

The young witch knocked at the door of her tutor's office. Memories of being scared silly knocking on that dark mahogany door flooded her brain and made her palms sweat almost instinctively. As a small child, the door seemed much taller and broader than it actually was now, and she had always imagined it as a doorway to the cave of a fearsome troll or giant. And the man that would answer it every time seemed to fit the profile as he loomed over her like a giant and wore a scowl on his face like a dangerous troll.

Although it probably wasn't fair to compare her tutor, Mr. Tristram Burke to a giant or a troll. He was, after all, one of the brightest wizards she knew.

And now that she was older, the door seemed to have shrunk. However, the man who now opened the door and towered over her seemed to have retained his gargantuan size...and his fashion sense.

His appearance never changed – always in dark green and black, always with the same dark beard peppered with gray.

His office was lined with bookshelves teeming with all sorts of tomes, scrolls and books that seemed far older than all the Hogwarts faculty and staff combined. There were also jars, boxes and chests of various equipment, ingredients, draughts and potions. At the end of the room were his desk and a door that led to his sleeping quarters. Off-limits, of course. And in the middle of the room were her desk and chair.

"Take a seat," Mr. Burke gruffly instructed, striding across the room to his desk and putting away some papers and what seemed like an old journal.

Eva did as was told and placed her books neatly on her table.

"Put away your Potions and Charms books, child. You won't be needing those for the rest of our lessons."

A confused look spread on the blonde's face. "What will I be needing then, Sir?"

The man scanned his bookshelf. "Your wand," he answered before plucking a book from the shelf. "And this."

Eva took the old book that was handed to her. Wiping the dust from the cover, she read, "Wand Warfare: Offence and Defence Against the Wielder". Her brows furrowed as she flipped through the pages.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this one, Sir. This book doesn't seem to be in circulation in the bookstores I go to."

Mr. Burke rolled up his sleeves and brought out his wand. "That's because it's not."

By nightfall, Eva was familiar (though still only in _theory_) with various hexes, jinxes and curses. On her way to supper, she wondered what the reason behind this change in their lessons was. She subtly fished for an explanation from her tutor by asking why they wouldn't be working on other subject areas such as Charms. His answer was simple and vague – that from that day onwards, they would be focusing on more useful and practical lessons. She wondered just how useful hexes and jinxes would be in the modern wizarding world. Apart from those aiming to become Aurors and the like, a common witch or wizard would find almost no use for it.

After supper with just her mother (this was the usual for them since the patriarch commonly came home late from work or meetings), Eva read silently with the older witch in their drawing room. They stayed in separate corners of the room, with Eva usually sitting close to the fireplace and Ursula staying in her armchair by the window (the cold never seemed to bother her).

At times, the older woman would do work, but there were times when she would just sit there motionless, staring blankly out the frosted window, just as she did now. Neither of them ever spoke nor made any eye contact. There was never any sharing of personal stories or secrets, like mothers and daughters usually did in the quietness of night when fathers were away. There was never any cuddling by the fire or exchanges of tender words. Instead there was a silence that Ursula preferred and that her daughter would do well to respect.

When Eva was much younger though, her mother had her read aloud difficult books, correcting mistakes none too gently, and at times, "correcting" her with the fireplace stoker leaning nearby. She had grown to dislike these private sessions with her mother so much that she would come up with feeble excuses, like feeling sick or catching up on lessons with her tutor (who, funnily enough, she found just a little more agreeable than her mother), to keep herself out of that room.

Only when she was dismissed could she retire to the more welcoming and comfortable silence of her room, a silence at times broken only by Winkle's visits or the little sounds made by Noxx when she fancied the company of her pet owl.

That night was no different. Eva retired only when her mother gave her permission to leave. She worked her way up stairways and down long corridors with paintings already fast asleep.

Once she reached her room, Eva collapsed on her bed with a sigh. Another long day. And tomorrow was going to be just like it, no doubt. She was really starting to miss school now. She missed her friends, some of her professors and the school grounds. She missed her classes and the schoolwork, too.

Although life at Hogwarts had its own set of routines, she found she never got tired of them. She missed waking up much earlier for breakfast. She missed the noise every mealtime...for the Great Hall was always full of life and laughter. It was such a contrast to mealtimes at their mansion that she almost felt unnatural having to sit through the silence during her first few days back home (though she had lived with this silence her whole life).

She jokingly wondered if she could just sleep through the whole vacation and wake only when it was time to leave for King's Cross Station.

When she made a move to prepare for bedtime, she caught a glimpse of a long object leaning against her dresser, and for the first time that day, she actually smiled.

It was the Firebolt she had received a couple of days before. Though words couldn't really capture the gratitude she felt towards _him_, she had sent the boy a note to thank him properly, not really knowing what to give in return. She felt guilt in the pit of her stomach for she had given Christmas gifts to all her friends _except_ him. She racked her brains for the perfect gift, but nothing she thought of could ever hold a candle to his present.

_"A scarf?"_ she thought. _"No, he probably has a couple of those already. An elegant pin? ...no, no, no...what are you? His mother?"_

She sighed in exasperation. What could a Malfoy want that wasn't already _his_ in the first place anyway?

_"Quidditch equipment? ...but where's the originality in that, Bellator?"_

And then an idea struck her, much like a Whomping Willow would at an unsuspecting trespasser.

Perhaps there wasn't anything she could _give_...but maybe there was something she could _do_.

The smile on her face grew just as the idea in her head did. She laid her head on her pillow and pondered away.

Before she knew it, she was walking in the land of dreams again...

…_back in the lush green fields, hills and forests, barefoot and uncaring. Then walking turned to running and feeling the warmth of summer against sun-kissed skin. And finally, after what felt like hours of wandering through the forest, she reached the clear blue river where the boy stood, facing it sideways and skipping stones across the surface of the water. _

_She walked up to him cautiously, afraid any disturbance might cause him to vanish. When she reached his side, she braved a whisper._

_"Won't you tell me who you _really _are?" _

_"Don't you know?" An innocent smile spread on the boy's face. With a flick of his wrist, he skipped one more stone. "I'm a friend."_

Before she could join the little boy, she was pulled back to consciousness and another day at the Bellator home began.

She got up, prepared herself for breakfast, joined her parents in their dining hall and tried her best to pay attention to the conversation this time, trying to find the right moment to join in and put her idea the night before into action. But the moment never came and the daily routine went on with her father disapparating to wherever he was needed, and then to her and her mother apparating to another busy street in London.

Afterward, they had lunch at another family friend's where Eva had to make light conversation with their daughters, although not much came out of their mouths aside from exclamations of how far more beautiful and picturesque their school, Beauxbatons, was compared to "boring and moldy old Hogwarts".

The two Bellators went straight home after lunch and the younger witch made her way to lessons with the stoic Mr. Burke. This time, he had the blonde practice jinxes on a life-like dummy that mimicked the effects of these spells when used on real humans. Some jinxes were rather entertaining, particularly the jelly-legs jinx and the stretching jinx. Her tutor remained unamused though.

After lessons came supper and time with her mother in the drawing room. Just a few minutes were spent reading the book from her tutor before her mother gave her permission to leave. Another day ended with falling asleep smiling at her most cherished Christmas gift and pondering on the best ways to approach her parents.

This cycle continued on until one day, the routine changed ever so slightly.

_She slowly walked up to the boy._

_"Your name...I can't remember it," the small Eva admitted. "I'm sorry...won't you tell me what it is?"_

_The boy smiled sadly and skipped a stone. _

_"Why won't you tell me?"_

_He picked another flat stone from the riverbank and handed it to her. _

_"Your turn."_

Breakfast was quicker than Eva had hoped. Her parents seemed to be in a bit of a rush that day. She never had the chance to speak up. Her idea still remained a secret.

"You will not be having lessons this afternoon," her father said. "Your mother and I have urgent matters to attend to and Mr. Burke will be accompanying us."

Eva did her best to contain her smile. With her parents and tutor away, she was free of their tight schedule. In other words, she was free to do whatever she pleased.

Her ever sharp mother didn't miss the change in her disposition. "We expect you to make good use of your time here. Keep in mind that Mr. Burke has left you books for further study."

"Yes, mother."

After their morning meal, she watched her parents and tutor disapparate with a loud crack. And just as suddenly as the three disappeared, the air around her seemed to loosen.

With the three of them gone, she dared to venture over to the kitchen area where most of their elves stayed at that time of the day. With the exception of Periwinkle, she was rarely ever able to speak with them. The schedule assigned to her kept her busy at all times, and her parents had forbidden her from consorting with servants and frequenting their work areas. They were, simply put, "beneath her". She thought it was ridiculous, but she also thought it best to keep this sentiment to herself.

As soon as she stepped foot in the kitchen, the house elves cheered and fussed over her, pushing her on a high stool and levitating all sorts of cakes and desserts on the table for her.

"L-L-Little Miss m-m-might get into t-t-trouble!" said Glimmer, the most worrisome of the elves. She watched nervously as the other elves continued to bring out more food.

"L-L-Little Miss is hungry," another elf, Pewter, mocked. "Can't Glimmer see?"

"We knows you're starved-ing, Little Miss!" the house elf they called Lewin exclaimed, levitating a napkin and plate for their young mistress and almost knocking over some herbs and spices.

"Well, I'm not going to disagree with _that_..." Eva chuckled as she recalled all the light meals her mother insisted on at home to maintain her figure. She _was_ getting tired of salad and soup.

While she relished her desserts, the house elves regaled her with clumsy stories in their mansion or their little misadventures in Diagon Alley when they accompanied their masters. They even reenacted some of the funnier bits much to the blonde's amusement.

Then the atmosphere turned serious when they reported how strangely their master and mistress had been acting as of late. The master was almost never home. Their mistress was often seen pacing in her office and her temper had turned far worse. Owls they hadn't seen in _years _were suddenly delivering all sorts of letters, the content of which probably wasn't too pleasant considering how the masters brooded after receiving them.

"Maybe they're having problems at work. It's probably nothing..." Eva said in an attempt to cover for her parents' actions. Although she wasn't too convinced with her own words.

Something was amiss, but if there was some sort of problem or something terrible happening, her parents would let her know, right?

_Right?_

...actually, she wasn't too sure of the answer to that one either.

She thanked the elves for the treats and excused herself, but not before receiving a hug from her little friends.

Eva then made her way to the library. She was, after all, expected "to make good use of her time". So with a book in hand, she made herself comfortable in her favorite spot there: the window seat overlooking the high-hedged maze-like gardens outside, and the snow-covered rolling hills and thick forest just beyond them.

Lunch was also spent quietly in the library. Other than Winkle coming to bring her food and to take away the empty plate and used silverware, there were no disturbances in the room.

Tired from memorizing and reading about hexes she knew for a fact she was never going to use, Eva released a long sigh and looked out the window. Outside seemed bright and crisp, her eyes wandering over to the forests beyond their grounds – the same forests that she had spent countless hours playing in as a child.

And speaking of hours, she realized she had spent a couple of them in that library already. Her bottom was starting to fall asleep.

_"Fancy a stretch, Eva?"_

She looked at the book in her hands, then back outside.

_"Well maybe just for a few minutes..." _

In her room, Eva dressed herself for the cold weather waiting beyond the mansion walls, finishing with the beautiful scarf Theodore had given her for Christmas. Just before she left, she caught sight of her new broom and smiled.

_"Well...I've got to try it out sooner or later."_

Outside, she could see her breath cloud up just before her, but it wasn't as cold as she originally thought it would be.

She mounted her broom and, after a long exhale and a little prayer to the gods above that she wouldn't crash into anything, she zoomed forward with incredible speed, zipping above the gardens, swerving and turning, barely dodging the center fountain that had turned to ice.

Eva laughed out loud, and once she had gone past their grounds and soared above the hills, she threw a hand up in the air and let everything out with a loud "Wooohoooooo!" that reverberated all around.

She cut through the icy wind like a hot knife through butter, scarf whiplashing all around her and hair feeling like it might get left behind in the wind. The Firebolt had lived up to expectations. She had never flown on a faster broom. It only took her a few amazing minutes to cross the great distance between the manor and the forest.

The blonde slowed to a stop when she entered the forest, afraid of ruining her new broom with all the thick trees around, and took to walking the rest of the way to wherever it was her feet were taking her. She had no particular destination in mind and no purpose, save changing her scenery and stretching her legs.

But it only took her a moment to start recognizing certain parts of the forest she had ventured into.

Sure, she had played there as a child many years ago. But she had also visited the area quite recently...just not in consciousness.

It was almost eerie how this forest was so similar to the one in her dreams. Although the latter one was perpetually in the state of summer and this one was currently in the state of winter, the similarities were still uncanny...how the trees stood tall and unwavering before her like the years that had passed had not affected them in the least, how the smell of pine lingered in the air, how the branches seemed to bend over the paths she took with rays of sunshine filtering through here and there, how the path bended and curved beneath her feet...and how it finally led to the river that she knew so well...to the river that was as long and wide as the one in her dreams.

The only difference is that this time, she was alone.

Leaning her broom against a nearby tree, she walked over to the river for closer inspection. It hadn't iced over yet, though frazil or ice crystals, were already forming and growing in some parts of the water. It flowed a little slower than usual, but it was still the same river that held numerous memories.

Eva went back to her broom and sat beside it. It was peaceful out there, nature in all its wintry glory, and for the first time in many days, she could just breathe and just relax and just be herself. If she wanted to shout, she could. If she wanted to fly around recklessly, she could. If she wanted to do a silly dance...well she never really thought about doing something like that, but out there she _could_.

Outside the mansion walls and out there in nature, she was just a regular girl, free to do as she pleased, free to just breathe…at least until time ran out...and she had to return home before her parents discover her missing and not exactly "making good use of her time".

Ah, her parents.

The Christmas break was almost over and classes would soon be resuming. Her idea still remained a secret only her head bore. When would the right moment for her to talk to her parents ever come?

Eva sighed and shook her head. No...who was she fooling? That was _never_ the right question.

Rather...

How was she ever going to muster the _courage_ to ask them?

Better still...how was she ever going to muster the courage to _fight _for something important to her?

Yes…those were the correct questions. Now if only she knew the answers to them.

With another sigh, she decided to just head home (seeing as her parents might return any second now) and just come up with another approach to her idea.

As the witch stood up and turned to go, she accidentally kicked something hard that went bouncing a few feet away from her. For a second she thought she had just imagined it or thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but upon closer inspection of the object, her eyesight justified itself.

It was a flat and rounded stone, just about the size of her palm, just the sort perfect for skipping across the river.

Almost immediately, her dreams came flooding back.

_"Your name...I can't remember it," the small Eva admitted. "I'm sorry...won't you tell me what it is?"_

_The boy smiled sadly and skipped a stone. _

_"Why won't you tell me?"_

_He picked another flat stone from the riverbank and handed it to her. _

"Your turn," Eva whispered.

She faced the river and, exhaling...not really knowing what she's doing…threw the rock towards the water. It didn't skip. Not even once. Instead, it plunged right down to the bottom of the river.

"I guess I'm no good at this either," she chuckled humorlessly. But something told her to go find another stone, and so she did. After finding one near the banks, she faced the river again.

_"Won't you tell me who you really are?" _

_"Don't you know?" An innocent smile spread on the boy's face. With a flick of his wrist, he skipped one more stone. _

_"I'm a friend."_

With a sharp movement of her wrist, she tried _flicking_ the flat stone across the surface, and to her surprise, it skipped once before it sunk.

But she wasn't happy with just that. She knew she could do better…but she was forgetting something. There was something she needed to do to succeed, so she looked for more stones suitable for skipping.

She tried a couple more times with the stones she collected. The best she could do was two skips before the stone was lost. She looked at her hands and saw that only one stone was left.

Eva faced the river once more.

_"Sideways," said a new voice. _

_Eva turned her head. Blonde hair and gray eyes stood beside her. _

_The little boy turned his back to her, facing the river sideways, squatting down close to the water._

"Sideways," Eva repeated, mimicking the boy's actions until she was in the right position.

_"I don't understand..."_

_"Don't be afraid to try."_

With another sharp movement of her wrist, Eva flicked the rock across the surface. It skipped...and skipped...and skipped…and skipped one more time until finally it slowed and was lost beneath the water.

"Yes!" the witch shouted triumphantly, laughing and jumping up and down. "Did you see that?"

Eva looked back at the spot where the boy had been and smiled.

* * *

><p>Breakfast was the same as usual that day. The patriarch drank his coffee and read his paper. His wife ran some news by him. None of them ever made eye contact. The only thing out of the ordinary would be Eva paying more attention to the conversation than usual.<p>

They talked about meetings with the Minister of Magic and "generous donations" made to the Ministry, about business and work to be done as the newly appointed governor at Hogwarts (her father had started only that year, at the same time she began formal schooling). They also talked about the Carrows again and some man named Rowle. Something about meetings and trainings. There wasn't much detail to go on.

She waited patiently for her turn to speak up. After a while, her prayers were answered and conversations turned to her.

"Classes will resume very soon," her father began. "I trust you have prepared everything you need?"

"Yes, father."

"Though Mr. Burke will not be around to supervise you at Hogwarts, we expect you to continue studying the material he has assigned to you, do you understand?"

"Of course, father."

"We expect nothing short of mastery when you come home in June." The older witch narrowed her icy blue eyes. "And we expect nothing short of _proper _and _respectable _behavior from you."

Eva's spirits faltered slightly. She knew just what her mother was pertaining to. "Yes, of course, mother."

Her father returned to his morning paper. "We will not be expecting any more letters regarding Quidditch accidents, now will we?"

She felt a huge lump form in her throat. Her palms started to sweat and her heart thudded heavily against her chest. This was it. This was her only chance to speak up. It was now or never.

The little boy's voice resounded in her head.

_"Don't be afraid to try."_

Eva cleared her throat. "About that, father..."

The man immediately turned his attention to his daughter. The older woman looked at Eva in displeasure, as if she already knew what her daughter was about to say.

Eva tried not to let their stares get to her though it was more difficult than she had imagined.

"I understand completely the trouble the_ dementors_ had caused at our last Quidditch game," she started, gaining confidence as she spoke. "And I wasn't thinking straight joining the team without your permission. I understand that my actions have rightly merited the punishment. However..."

It was time to drop the bomb.

"I had made a commitment with the Slytherin House and its Quidditch team, and this commitment lasts the whole year since recruitment only happens at the beginning of each school year."

She could see her parents beginning to understand what she was getting to, which made her heart beat even faster, but there was no stopping the words now.

The bomb had made contact with the ground.

"I'm afraid the team would not be able to find an immediate replacement for me, seeing as I was the only suitable Chaser during recruitment period, and I'm afraid the team might end up losing the next matches without a suitable replacement. As a Bellator and as a Slytherin, I wouldn't want to put my House in that position."

Here it comes...the point of the speech.

"So father...mother...in light of these circumstances and as service to the Slytherin House, I would like to request that I continue playing for my team."

* * *

><p>Eva stood at Platform 9 and 34, welcoming the sight of all the students hurrying to the train. She looked around and saw familiar faces. There was Longbottom, looking like he had lost his pet toad again. There were some Ravenclaw girls she recognized from the library, giggling as they boarded the train. There were some Slytherins that nodded to her. There was a whole group of redheads approaching with their carts. She immediately recognized the two tallest ones, the twins, and then there was Ron Weasley, who she waved happily to. It was nice to see a friendly face though she and the Gryffindor weren't all that close.

Her things were loaded on the train that whistled, signaling the passengers that it was almost time to go. She turned to her companion. This time it wasn't her mother. The older witch seemed to be more than a little infuriated by the fact that Eva had even asked such a thing of her parents, thus going against their previous wishes. She had not wanted to see her daughter off and had made no effort to hide it.

"Off you go, Miss Bellator," her tutor said in a gruff tone. "I will be owling you the rest of the tomes and material."

Eva nodded politely and boarded the train. She maneuvered herself through rowdy students and searched for her compartment, more than eager to see her friends again.

She was about to turn around and double-check the other compartments when a pair of hands came from behind and covered her eyes. On instinct, she struggled and tried to break free, causing her to accidentally elbow the person in the ribs and step on their foot.

"Easy there, Eva!" a familiar voice said, half chuckling, half coughing in pain. "It's just me!"

The blonde witch whirled around, and lo and behold, standing before her (but really more like towering before her) was the dark-haired boy she got along so well with…the same one that gave her the beautiful scarf she wore that day.

"Theodore!" she exclaimed as she threw both arms around him. "I missed you so much!"

The tall boy kept both arms rigidly at his sides, unsure of what to do with them. "Err...I...uhh...I m-missed you, too..."

"I swear," she laughed, voice slightly muffled by his coat. "You get taller every time I see you!"

"You're wearing the scarf I gave you..." Theodore timidly said, trying to keep his cool though his cup of happiness was filled to the brim.

Eva nodded. "I just love it! Thank you."

Finally unable to bear it any longer, he hugged back tightly and just sank in the happy warmth.

Beside them, someone cleared their throat.

The dark-haired boy quickly backed away, two red patches evident on his face.

It was the group Eva had been looking for and had missed terribly. They were seated together in the compartment and all eyes were directed at Theodore and her. Millicent looked like she was going to hurl. Blaise and Daphne were smirking. Tracey was trying to contain a laugh. Pansy looked at them like they were a bunch of clowns, and Draco looked unamused to say the least.

Tracey and Eva shared giddy hugs as the blonde witch sat with the group, between the pony-tailed girl and Draco to be exact. She smiled and gave a curt nod to the latter and received an equally brisk one from him.

Stories of their vacations were exchanged. Millicent had gained more than a few pounds over the break and her grandmother was none too pleased about it.

"It's horrible!" the plump Slytherin whined. "She wants me to...to...ugh! It's too horrible! I can't say it!"

"She wants Millicent to cut down on sweets and pastries," Pansy finished without feeling.

Tracey scoffed at their chubby friend. "At least that's_ all_ she wants you to do. My mum's been forcing me to sew, knit and bloody bake during the holidays!"

"So?" Millicent sniffed.

"She made me do it the _old-fashioned_ way." Tracey lifted her hands and showed off all the bandages from the pin pricks and burns, issuing gales of laughter and snickering from the group.

After all the stories had been told and the teasing gotten over with, some of them fell asleep...on Eva's lap to be precise (i.e. Tracey). Some occupied themselves with a book (Blaise). Some went off in search of food (yes, it was Theodore and Millicent). Others gossiped quietly with each other (Daphne and Pansy) while others still let their minds wander, eyes staring out the window (Draco).

His train of thought was broken by a nudge to the side.

"Hey..." Eva whispered so as not to get the attention of the two gossipmongers sitting across them (and so as not to wake the girl sleeping on her lap). "I just want to thank you in person…thank you for..._you know_. I really don't know how I can ever repay you..."

A smirk spread on the boy's face. "Is that why I haven't received a Christmas gift yet?"

Eva chuckled lightly. "Well...yes."

"Merlin, Bellator," The boy harrumphed. "You don't have to be so straightforward about it."

The witch pinked a little from embarrassment.

Draco's smirk then slowly disappeared and the grave look on his face returned. "Although I have to wonder whether you'll ever even get to use it on the field."

There was a moment of silence between them before Eva spoke up.

"I thought about what you said...at your family's ball...and, after much deliberation, I decided to talk to my parents."

Draco perked up at this. He looked at the witch expectantly and a bit impatiently. "And?"

Eva shrugged her shoulders as if in defeat before flashing a smile. "Sorry, but...I guess you're stuck with me on the team."

Draco stared at her for a moment, like he couldn't believe his ears. After a few seconds, he snorted...and then the snort turned into a chuckle, and then that chuckle turned into a laugh he tried to suppress (an attempt that mostly failed), causing the two girls as well as Blaise to look in their direction with curiosity and surprise.

Was Draco...Draco _Malfoy_...actually _laughing?_

For a while there, Eva thought she had said something wrong.

"And _what_ may I ask is so _funny?_" Pansy asked irritably, the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head.

The boy cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Nothing. Mind your own business, Parkinson."

The short-haired girl glared at Eva before going back to her private discussion with Daphne. Every now and then, however, she would sneak glances at the two blondes.

Draco cracked open a book to dispel any more suspicion. "Well, well, well, Bellator," he whispered as apathetically as he could. "Looks like you _do_ have the balls for Quidditch."

"Err...thanks," Eva whispered back. She figured that was the closest she would ever get to a pat on the back from Draco Malfoy.

Silence reigned once more in their compartment. There was nothing left to do but wait for their arrival at Hogwarts.

Eva settled for staring out the window at the trees that passed by in a haze. The smile she had worn for her captain was nowhere to be found.

_"So father...mother...in light of these circumstances and as service to the Slytherin House, I would like to request that I continue playing for my team."_

_To Eva, it took an eternity for them to answer. She sat there, clutching her seat for fear she might lose her strength from their piercing stares and fall off right then and there. Her mother, in particular, looked insulted that the young witch would even dare to ask for a reconsideration. _

_So when her father answered her, she was taken by surprise._

_"Very well," he said in a stern tone. "You may continue playing." _

_What further surprised Eva was the smirk she thought she saw on her father's perpetually grave face and the next few statements he uttered._

_"_Now_ you are starting to think and persuade like a Bellator."_

_Eva felt pride surge in her chest, but before she could celebrate, her father cleared his throat and continued with an even stricter tone._

_"However," he said. Eva felt her heart sink immediately after hearing that one word. "Seeing as a replacement can be found at the start of next school year, you will_ only_ be permitted to play during the rest of this present year. After this semester, you will no longer participate in Quidditch, do I make myself clear?" _

_She met her father's unwavering eyes with her own determined ones. _

"_Yes, father."_

Eva looked from the pony-tailed girl sleeping peacefully on her lap to her fellow blonde who had his nose buried in a book.

They didn't need to know just yet. She would cross that bridge when she got there. For now, she had to be content with playing for one last semester. For now, she had to try and be happy with what she got.

After all, beggars couldn't be choosers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: First of all...(and I know you must get tired hearing this already)...I am soooo sorry for the long wait! You already know by now. Busy, buy schedule. This has been my only real vacation so far, so I tried to finish this chapter as best I can before work starts again. Also, I know this chapter isn't as exciting as the previous ones, (it might even be bordering on boring at some parts) sorry hahaha, but that's how it is. It's basically just giving readers a background of Eva's life at home and some foreboding stuff that will serve as grounds for certain events in much later chapters.**

**I'm telling you now, the next chapter will be fluffier and will hopefully make up for the lack of "action" in this chapter hahaha. And I promise, it's going to contain more Draco. Now wouldn't that be nice? :) Although I have to warn you ahead of time...my next vacation's probably going to be around March or April so...the next chapter might not be up till then. :(**

**To Anon: Oh dear, I'm sorry for making that mistake. I shall change "freshmen" to "first years". Thanks for that. :) As for the other matters concerning Draco: Yes, I am fully aware that he and his family share a good relationship in the books, and he is actually quite spoiled by them, that much is obvious. :) But I've tweaked some things to better fit the flow of my story. Although they still love each other here, I've added conflicts for the sake of drama and all that la-di-da. Hahaha. Well that's the beauty of fanfiction. :) Anyway, thank you for your thoughts. You're welcome to share any other ideas. :)**

**To all those who have reviewed and given their thoughts on Chapter 21, thank you very much! I appreciate all the comments and support! :)**

**Well, that's it! If you have any more comments, suggestions, ideas or anything you want to say, feel free to post away! If you're too shy to do so, messages are also welcome! Hahaha. Though I don't update often, I _do_ check my mail and site quite frequently. :)**

**Happy Holidays and an awesome New Year to everyone! :D**


End file.
